the scars of your love
by shawtygetloose
Summary: Alexie Jonas is tired of being seen as one of the Jonas orphans or the sister of the Jonas Brothers. When she meets Taylor Lautner and they fall in love, she finds that she's the reincarnation of Juliet to his Romeo. And like Verona, L.A. is divided by a years long feud that keeps them from truly being together. Unless she choses him over loyalty to her side and her family.
1. Preface

**_Preface_**

When I was younger, there was a saying my father always used to tell my brothers and me. "_Non si puo avere la botte piena éla moglie ubriaca_." Which is Italian for, you can't have your cake and eat it too.  
And he was right.  
I always knew it would come down to this.  
That when it got too hard, that I would have to make the choice once and for all.  
Between my loyalty to my blood…

_"Where were you?" Joe screamed at me, his expression flushed with burning anger that had been hinted about for the past few weeks. He got in my face, his neck straining against itself, the flesh turning red and stretching against his bones of his neck as he glared at me. "Where were you, Alexie? Our brother nearly died and you were no place to be found!"_

…and the enemy I've fallen in love with.

_"I'm sick of this!" Taylor cried. "I'm sick of this feud. I'm sick of hiding and worrying if the two of us are going to caught together!"_  
_"Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" I demanded, throwing my arms in the air. "We're on opposite sides of this and we can't unveil the truth once and for all."_

And it wouldn't be for myself.

_Protectively, Kevin moved in front of me, facing Joe. "Stop it." He hissed. "This isn't the time or the place."_  
_Joe glared at him. "You don't care that Nick almost died and his own twin sister didn't show up to the hospital until six hours later? That the one person who could've helped him wasn't here?"_

No.

_Taylor took my hand in his. "Alexie," he began seriously staring down into my eyes. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry but I can't. I want you to go away with me."_  
_My mouth dropped open. "Go where? Why?"_  
_He waved offhandedly. "Wherever, so long as we can be together."_

It would be for the ones I love.

_"She should've been here at his side using their bond so we would know whether he was going to be okay or not!" Joe snapped. "She is the only person who can. Yet not only she wasn't here, she didn't even notice that something was wrong!"_  
_My eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry," I answered knowing full and well he was right. That Nick could've died and I wasn't here because I was with him._

_"And what about-" I began._  
_Interrupting me, Taylor shook his head, pressing his finger to my lips. "Forget it. Forget it all. Forget the feud. Forget family. Come away with me where we'll never—never have to worry about hiding our love again. Come with me, Alexie."_

Remembering the moments that had brought me to this inevitable choice, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I was trying not to cry, trying to forget everything I was about to give up. I swallowed hard, and shakily opened my mouth and whispered, **_"_**_I know what I have to do."_  
Not for myself.  
No.  
For the ones I love…  
I have to choose once and for all.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE:**

_She hugged his hollow body to hers as her head rapidly shook back in forth in denial of the friar's words._

_"Your husband lies there in your bosom...dead." He said gently. "Paris, too."_

_The tide of grief threatened to overtake her once more but she shook it off refusing to believe._

_"Come. I'll place you among a sisterhood of holy nuns," the friar began._

_But she paid no attention to his words as she gazed upon him, her Romeo._

_"Do not wait! The watch is coming." _

_A loud clatter from outside reached their ears and when Juliet made no motion to move he finally understood what she meant to do. _

_"Come! __**Go**__, good Juliet," he begged, his voice becoming tainted with the hint of hysteria._

_There was another loud noise and he jumped. Please, he was pleading, "I dare not stay any longer!"_

_She shook off his arm. "Go. Get out of here then," she snapped hotly, her eyes only for Romeo. "For I will not away._

_The friar had been about to argue when there was another noise from outside. He stood up and hurried to the doorway. He threw Juliet a look of regret and fear over his shoulder before he disappeared down the hall._

_She paid him no mind. "What's this here?" She whispered, kneeling at the side of the one who was her everything. "It is a cup closed in the hand of my true love." _

_Her eyes wide she turned the cool metal cup over in her hands as she realized what he had done. "Poison," she breathed as her voice broke. _

_Juliet tried again. "Poison, I see has been the cause of his death."_

_She gasped as the pain and grief hit her like no force she had ever known. It was pressing against her ribs, her chest, suffocating her so much that she couldn't breathe. Wanting to be ride of the feeling she rapidly she pressed the cup to her mouth, trying to drain whatever was left but nothing touched her lips. Juliet pulled back and peered down into the cup._

_"Drunk all," she realized at its dry emptiness, instantly casting it aside now that it no longer had a use. "And he didn't leave me any to help me afterward?" Desperately she bent over him. "I will kiss your lips. Perhaps there's still some poison on them to make me die with a medicinal touch." She pressed her lips against his for a long moment just as her tears began to fall. Startled she pulled away and with a trembling hand touched her own lips. "Your lips are warm._

_Suddenly a noise broke the night. "Boy, which way?"_

_"Oh, a noise?" she whispered realizing she didn't have much time. "Then I'll be quick." She glanced around searching for what would make her end. Her eyes lied upon her beloved and saw his dagger. "O happy dagger," she whispered softly as she snatched it from his side. "My body shall be your sheath. Rust inside my body." Her hands were shaking so she gazed at him, only him and nothing else._

_She thought of him, only him and no one else._

_Then-before she could lose herself to her fear of the unknown-Juliet used all her strength and plunged the dagger straight into her chest. Crimson red blood blossomed over her bodice, spreading like the stain of split ink against the fabric of her dress. _

_"And let. Me. __**Die**__," she finished weakly before her eyes closed just as she crumbled over the corpse of her true love._

_And it was finished._

"Princessa?" I heard someone say as they shook my body back and forth.

"Ughhhh." I groaned, shoving my head under a pillow without opening my eyes. "Five more minutes."

"But, A-lex-ie!" the person whined, shaking my bed as they jumped up and down slightly. " Bliss said that if you didn't get up, **_none_** of us would get birthday pancakes."

_Birthday pancakes?_ I thought, mentally sitting up.

**Little sis, if you don't get your butt down here soon, Joe says he's coming up there. And you know what that means,** my twin brother Nick told me, his words telepathically popping up in my brain like an IM message on a computer.

Oh crap, I _did_ know what that meant.

Quickly I sat straight up, knocking my younger brother Frankie, off of me and onto the bed just as my door burst open and my older brother Joe stood in the doorway with the mop bucket full of (probably freezing cold) water on top of his head.

"Dang it," he cried, realizing that I was awake. "I was actually looking forward to dumping a gallon of water on you."

I glared at him then at Frankie. "It is my _birthday_, guys." I screeched. "And even on my birthday you have to wake me up before noon by jumping on me and drenching me in water!"

Quickly Franklin, acting like a startled turtle jumped off my bed and scurried towards the door.

"Well." I heard Joe smack his lips together loudly, as if he'd been greatly offended. "_Some_body's grumpy." He bent down to stage whisper in Frankie's ear. "She must be PMS-ing."

He could not be seriously messing with me now. I mean just because a girl is cranky or angry does not automatically mean she's on her period! "_Ugh_!" I shouted throwing a body pillow at the door managing to slam it close instead of smacking him like I wanted.

But whatever; this was just as good.

With a groan I fell back into the fluff of pillows and blankets that was my bed. I am **_so_** not a morning person.

I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep but there was no use. I was up and here to stay.

I groaned again as I sat back up and my eyes painfully adjusted to the sunlight streaming through the glass doors that served as a entrance to my balcony. I threw my body off the side of the bed and pulled on a pair of red snowman pajama bottoms and fluffy Curious George slippers before grabbing my phone. I planned to check Facebook as I heading downstairs.  
I already had a bunch of Happy Birthday posts on my page from both fans and friends alike and replied to a couple before updating my status.

**Alexyne Skylie Jonas**

**September 16. 10:23 a.m.**

**STATUS: **"Nothing says happy birthday than your older brother trying to wake you up with nothing but a bucket of cold water..."

I would've used Twitter but right now it was too much of a concept for me to be able to grasp. It took me from 6th to 8th grade just to switch from MySpace to Facebook. _That_ shows you just how technologically impaired I am.

I stuffed my phone into my PJ pocket before rounding the corner of the hallway and stopped in the doorway of the dining room, gazing at the scene with a smile. Looking like he'd recovered from my morning wrath, Frankie was beating on his chest like Tarzan and belting out some kind of Indian battle cry while Kyle Simmons (his best friend from next door) shot Hot Wheels across the table.

_My_ best friend, Kohl (also Kyle's sister) was flirting with my older brother Kevin who is too clueless to realize it. Joe's girlfriend, Demi was trying to brush flour off her skirt while texting her best friend, (who's also Nick's girlfriend) Selena, who happened to be sitting across from her. On Demi's left side was Joe, checking out his refection with a giant silver spoon.

If I didn't know any better I never would've thought he'd been trying to give me a wake-up-drowning. I tried to ignore the pang of envy in my heart as I noticed all the pairings. Everyone had someone whether they knew it or not and I wanted that too.  
Just then our EBC (Everything But Cook) Gabrielle walked with Bliss, who was going from plate to plate, kissing cheeks and making a few comments here and there as she spooned out blueberry and/or chocolate chip pancakes. My godfather obviously sipped his coffee from the World's Most Star Struck Dad mug Frankie and I made him two fathers days ago as he read the morning paper.

The smile grew and I focused on the scene at hand. _This_ was my family.

**Happy Birthday, Twin**, I heard Nick say.

I turned and looked at him over my shoulder.

Everyone expects that just because I'm JB's sister or Nick's twin that I'm just like them. I mean, I know I _look_ like them.

Nick and I both have the dark brown glossy curls like Frankie's although his hair is straight like our dad's. Whereas Joe and Kevin's hair is black, like our parents. And my dad and I are the only ones with hazel eyes. Unlike Nick, Frankie and our biological mom who all have dark brown eyes. Except for Joe who has amber colored ones and Kevin has pale green ones.

And then come our personality differences. Nick and I are fraternal twins, born only a couple minutes apart, making me the youngest of us two. And while he's sensitive, brooding and content to be alone and in silence, I'm the opposite. I'm more outspoken and more people-oriented. Kind of like Joe, only he's like our conceited class clown with Frankie as his ultimate prank partner in crime slash Mini-Me. Then there is Kevin who is the smart, older mature one.

But there are enough signs for the both of us (Nick and I) to know we're split halves of the same soul. From the way we've always been able to feel each other's emotions to being able to literally communicate in each other's minds. Plus there's the fact that both of our lives including Frankie, Kevin and Joe centers so much on music. We all are singers while Nick and I can play the piano and all the guys can play guitar. There's even a connecting room with a piano and mini-recording studio between Nick and I's bedrooms.

Not surprisingly enough Nick is already neatly dressed, compared to pajama clad me, in a plaid shirt, jeans and his man-purse.

**It's not a man-purse, Alexie,** he quickly broke in, annoyed.

**If it's a purse on a guy, it's a man-purse**, I replied.

He gritted his teeth. **It is a satchel.**

I rolled my eyes. **Okay! Okay! Fine, don't get your pants in a wad. It's just your...**. I paused**...fanny pack.**

Nick started glaring at me and I nearly burst out laughing. **Okay. Moving on...I can't believe we're seventeen!** I grinned reaching up and ruffling his curls.

At that he shook his head. **Not until 3:25 PM for me and 3:32 PM for you,** he replied pushing my hand away from his hair.

I rolled my eyes. **Only ****_you_**** would get technical about something like that.**

Nick smiled. **Hey, when you're older, you're older.**

**By seven minutes!** I cried slightly annoyed. **I swear, it's like you think it's equal to that of year! Do you even know how to do math?**

He mentally scoffed. **At least ****_I_**** didn't fail the first math test of the year.**

I gasped and glanced around the room to see if anyone else had heard that revelation. so far it looked like I was home free. I pulled him into the hall. **How do you know that?** I demanded.

He rolled _his_ eyes now. **Alexie, we're twins. You're going to have to get used to the fact that I will always know these things.**

I sighed before adding, **Well, if ****_someone_**** wasn't too busy trying to give free mini concerts at the beach when every normal person is at school or work, rather than helping me, maybe I wouldn't have.**

Nick's mouth dropped open. **How do you know that?** _He_ demanded now.

I grinned smugly before responding. **Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe because we're ****_twins_****.** I mock-rolled my eyes. **I mean, seriously, Nicky boy, you need to get used to the fact that I will always know these things.** At his shocked expression I smirked before pushing past him and entering the dining room.

Bliss glanced up at us as we walked in and smiled. "Good, Nicholas and Alexyne are up." She hurried over and started pushing us towards the seats next to each other at the table. She then strapped paper birthday hats on both our heads before she kissed us both on the cheeks. "Happy Birthday, my children," she whispered to both of us, before heading back to the kitchen.

Gabby shot Nick and me a wink before she followed her.

As if we were generals calling their soldiers to their attention, everyone instantly stopped what they were doing and looked up at us. Nick pulled at the collar of his shirt, uncomfortable being under the center of attention while I grinned brightly back at them.

The room quickly quieted into...well, quiet.

Loving to be an awkward silence breaker I quickly blurted, "I love chocolate!"

**Really, Alexie?** Nick asked shooting me a_ how-sad-are-you_ look which was shared with nearly everyone else in the room. **Really**?

**What**? I shrugged defensively. **It seemed to fit.**

Our godfather's eyes widened and he looked up from the paper "What? Kids, I didn't realize your birthday was today."  
Nick and I both rolled our eyes at each other. "_Godfather_!" We both said together, our faces both slack and serious.  
"What? Can't an old man joke around in his own house anymore?" Brendan demanded, managing to look the part of someone majorly outraged.

Nick shook his head. "Not when the jokes are as old-"

"-as the old man _himself_!" I finished.

Everyone except Frankie and Kyle burst out laughing.

"Like you said I'm getting old." Godfather tried to say in defense. "My bones are slowly scrunching together and my brains becoming faulty.

It's only natural that I forget a thing or two."

"Not after the year you forgot your anniversary _and_ the twins' birthday." Joe reminded him.

"The twins never let me forget it," he smiled as he shook his head chidingly at us.

Laughing, Bliss (his ex-wife) shook her head to as she re-entered the dining room. "Now, Brendan, don't leave _me_ out of that equation."

We all laughed again just as Gabby dimmed the lights and Bliss set a pile of pancakes in front of Nick and me with a separate #1 and #7 candles on opposite ends from the center already lit. I grabbed Nick's hand under the table and excitedly squeezed just as the singing began.

_"Happy birthday to you. _  
_Happy Birthday to you. _  
_Happy Birthday_..."

There's nothing quite like hearing your birthday song being sang by so many musically talented people at the same time, it seems like it's really a mini-choir. I laughed. There are so many people on the planet who would _kill_ for the Jonas Brothers along with Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez to sing Happy Birthday to them and I'm just lucky that they were all apart of my family.

_"...Nick and Alexie. _  
_Happy Birthday to you_!"

Only Kyle and Frankie kept singing.

_"And many more on Channel 4. _  
_And Scooby Doo on Channel 2. _  
_And the big, fat, lady on Channel 80_..."

We all burst into laughter. "Make a wish! "Frankie and Kyle yelled oblivious to everyone else's amusement.  
Smiling, I closed my eyes and my thoughts turned back to what I was thinking of earlier. _Everyone here has someone who they share something special with them and I want that too. So please—oh, please, send me someone I can love. I don't care who, just anyone..._

Then I blew out my candle just as Nick blew out his and everyone cheered.

Smiling slightly Nick took off the candles and cut the pancake-cake into halves while everyone else dug into their own plates. Carefully, I reached out and picked up his half and then my own and set them on each of our plates. The pancake-cake consisted of 4 pancakes a blueberry pancake on top followed by a chocolate, then blueberry and another chocolate one. I slathered my half in butter and blueberry syrup before took a bite.

"So Kohl, what are you doing here?" I asked her after following my bite with a sip of apple juice.

"Oh, I just came to pick you up. I'm taking you birthday shopping." Kohl explained. She turned and giggled at something Kevin said and I rolled my eyes.

_And to flirt with my __**brother**__,_ I thought, shooting her a meaningful look.

For someone who is the second (not counting me and Nick separately because we're good at opposite things, academic wise) smartest person in our family, Kevin is kind of dumb when it comes to girls. Kohl has had a crush on him since the day we moved into this house. And everyone in our family including _Frankie_ knows it. And he's in that _teasing-girls-to-show-he-likes-them_ stage. All except for Kevin.  
But if the guys had never become the Jonas Brothers then I guess he wouldn't be in her league. Not just because of her parentage (she's part African American and part Asian) but that Kohl's so pretty. Like Egyptian pretty from her dark, exotic looking skin, long dark hair and and emerald green eyes. And Kevin, well, is kind of a nerd.

**We don't have anything planned, right?** I mentally questioned Nick who is organized enough for the both of us.

He pulled out his Blackberry Curve and quickly ran through today's schedule. **Nope**, he shook his head stuffing his phone back into his "satchel" _(man-purse!)._

I turned to my god mom now. "Ooo, Bliss, can I go?

She nodded. "Yes. Gabrielle and I need to go to the ballroom for some last minute checks on the decorations along with some other last minute errands."

Gabby pushed back her chair. "Speaking of which, I should probably go get ready." She smiled simply at Nick and me. "Happy birthday, _mon cherie_." She said.

We both grinned back at her. "Thanks, Gabs," we chorused as she made her way to her room down the hall.

Gabby only became our "maid" a couple of years ago when our godparents started getting caught up in the boys' singing careers and my modeling one as well as their own. As much as I love singing, I don't want to seem like one of those people who record a album just because they can rather then actually having the talent. Anyway so Bliss's hairdresser recommended his niece who had just moved to America from France to help us by cleaning the house three times a week and helping us in other ways too. I love Gabby, she's like the older sister I never had.

Our god mom, Bliss Wendolyn Hall is an artist-a painter to be exact while our godfather is an actor, currently on hiatus. He was an action movie star, Brendan Fraser, the one from the _"The Mummy" _and...I don't know what else because he, Joe and Frankie re-watch that entire series at least once a month.

I turned to Kohl. "Okay, cool. We can leave as soon as I finish eating. I don't have to be at my hair appointment until six anyway."

"Kohl, are you sure you wouldn't like something to eat?" My godmom asked sounding concerned as she motioned around the table at the various dishes of fruit, bacon, sausage and etc. at the mini-breakfast buffet. "Because we have food to spare."

Just as I knew she would, Kohl shook her head. "Thanks, Bliss, but I have a shoot tonight and I'm trying to stay away from carbs."

"Wait, you're missing the twins masquerade?" Kevin wanted to know looking up from his food to look at her.

Looking solemn, Kohl nodded, only her eyes were shining with ecstacy that he even cared. "Yeah, I tried to beg my mom to let me out of it, but you know how moms are." She shrugged before our eyes met and we exchanged a look.

We both knew that it wasn't just a matter of how moms are but rather how _Kohl's_ mom is. Kohl's mom is Kimora Simmons, who I admit I didn't know until I looked her up. Anyways, Kimora wants Kohl to be a model just like her. Which would be fine only Kohl's secret passion is to work in a third world country as a doctor. But telling that to Kimora is like asking a hurricane to wreak havoc somewhere else. She won't pay attention then terrorize you until you give up/in. Every time I run into her, I give thanks that Nick and I were born to our parents and not someone like Kimora.

I shoved my last bit of pancake-cake into my mouth before scooting back my chair and stood up. "I'm going to go get ready."

I ran upstairs and quickly took a shower and brushed my teeth before I walked through the door to my closet to figure out what I wanted to wear today.

I pulled on a white lace dress and a pair of black slouch boots. I quickly applied a coat of mascara and sheer gloss. Since it felt cool outside, I grabbed my mini leather jacket and plopped a white beret over my messy curls before pulling on hot pink legwarmers over neon-paint splattered tights under my boots. After checking out my reflection I grabbed my red tote and walked back into my room.

"Is Dakota coming with us?" I asked Kohl who upon walking out I discovered sitting on my bed, texting. "Or is she still caught up with the Twilight-ers with their last B.D. script run through?"

Yes, my other best friend is none other than Dakota Fanning, the girl who plays evil vampire Jane in the_ Twilight Saga_ .

Not that I would know because I've only seen the movies. And that was just in support of her. I don't have anything against Stephenie Meyer or even her books but I'm more of a Nicholas Sparks kind of girl, not the paranormal romance type. So Dakota and I didn't become friends by bonding over that kind of stuff. Even though we all are celebs or at least COBR (Celebrities Only By Relation) we meet people in regular ways. Kohl and I became friends because she confided in me about her crush on Kevin. And Dakota and I met at school where we're both cheerleaders.

Kohl nodded as she slid the keyboard of her Droid close and tossed it into her clutch. "Yeah but she's going to meet us in town. The director is only letting them have a couple of hours off until they have to go back. She said it looks like she can't make the party. Sorry." She shot me a sympathetic look before adding, "I feel like we're both blowing you off, Lex."

I shrugged as I headed to the door as she got up and followed me. "Oh, don't worry about it. I thought this might happen even before I invited you guys."

Normal people would be upset that their two best friends couldn't go to their birthday party, but it came with the territory of having famous friends. I was lucky that the _guys_ were even at home. Instead they could've been on tour, recording, promoting their music or filming for the third version of their show, JONAS now called JONAS L.A. But most likely I wouldn't have gone. Not because I couldn't but rather, that I hate tour buses.

One of my worst birthdays was the year I went on the Camp Rock tour and just after everyone got done singing _Happy_ _Birthday_ to Nick and me, the tour bus hit a pothole. I ended up with face full of cake. The boys still don't let me forget that. They took a picture and added _"Got Cake?"_ at the bottom to be funny.

"So what'd you wish for?" Kohl demanded as we started down the stairs. She was the type of person who has no problem speaking her mind...hmm sounds familiar.

Smiling I shook my head. "Sorry, Kohl. But you know what they say. If you tell, it won't come true."

And I really wanted this wish to come true.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO:**

"Hey, what took you so long?" I asked just as an exhausted looking Dakota as she rounded the corner of our private Chic Little Devil's dressing room. It was almost three hours after Kohl and I had left my house and Dakota was just _now _getting here.  
Dakota shook her head as Kohl scoot over on the sofa to give her room to sit down. "Long story. Hold on, let me catch my breath first." She warily sank into the cushion of the love seat Kohl was currently camped out at and after a couple of minutes, started talking. "I was just getting something to eat at that restaurant on the edge of Monroe and Callan. You know, Italiana and these guys walked in, asking for a table. The maître de wouldn't sit them and when the manager echoed his sentiment, one of the guys threw a punch and pretty soon an all-out fight had broken out." Dakota started to pile her long strawberry blond locks on top of her head in a messy bun. "The police were called and all witnesses had to give a statement.  
"Why wouldn't they sit them?" I wanted to know.  
Dakota eyed Kohl meaningfully before saying in a matter-of-factly way, "It's because the restaurant is a chain owned by Letters Inc. And they were _Teagues_."  
"Oooo." Kohl nodded as if this simple word explained everything. "Mayor Princeton is going to be so mad! I wouldn't be surprised if he put that city-wide curfew in effect that he threatened to do the last time there was a city brawl." She pulled out her phone and started Google-ing like no tomorrow, probably checking to see if she was right.  
I didn't even know about the curfew threat which shows how much I care/know about politics, that's Nick's half of our soul.  
I rolled my eyes. "I do _not_ understand people here. What's the big deal if you got your start in the industries by a record label or studio owned by Monty Teague or C. A. Lett? I get they had a long held grudge against each other but they're both dead now. We should all be able to move on with our lives. Not upholding the feud of two crazy old men!"  
Kohl glanced up from her phone as she and Dakota exchanged looks again. Kohl had grown up in Hollywood and Dakota had been here since she was at least 6 years old. So they grew up with this feud long enough to not question things like I did. The way things were done here didn't seem out of the norm for them because they'd been around it all their lives. Like why people in Hollywood remained determinedly segregated in aggressive Teagues versus Letts rivalries when the enforcers of such a thing were long gone.  
"Haven't you ever wondered why there's another school for children of celebrities other than ours?" Dakota began. "Why Galaxy's rival is the Starlight School?"  
"So Galaxy wouldn't be the only business in the schools-for-kids-of-stars and monopolize on the industry." I answered proudly, sure I was right; Nick had explained this concept to me when I asked why all Walgreen's and CVS Pharmacy's are always right across the street from each other. I glanced over at Kohl who was slowly shaking her head. "Right?"  
"No." Kohl answered, forgetting about politics and checking out her reflection in different positions. "Starlight is meant for people under MTV, Universal Studios and Nickelodeon. They're people who can all eventually be traced back to Montgomery Teague."  
"What?" I cried, no longer focused on just shopping as I hurried over to them. "Even the schools?"  
"One of the reasons the two tycoons became rivals before the feud is because their competitiveness towards each other," Dakota said. "Like, Connell Lett built a suburb on the outskirts of Hollywood so of course Monty had to too. And as they became more successful, so did their rivalry. It's too the point where there's actually is a dividing line between what's considered Monty's territory and Connell's, here in Hollywood. 34th Street is between Monroe which is the Teague's land, and Callan which is ours. The line that is considered neutral territory like a few celebs here."  
"Like?" I wanted to know, intrigued which was kind of surprising because my thing was science not history (that was Nick's).  
"Like Taylor Swift for one," Kohl interjected. "And the studio that Dakota does the Twilight movies with. Not all of those stars are Lett's like us. Some are Teagues or even neutrals too."  
"Hmm," I mused thoughtfully.  
I still didn't understand why Hollywood had to still be divided, social wise. If we could move on from the divisions of race all the way from when African Americans were slaves to now, we had to be able to move on from this. Right?  
However, one of the reasons I went along with it because it affected my brothers otherwise. Walt Disney was brought into this business by Connell A. Lett and therefore pledged his allegiance to him and everyone who worked under something Disney owned (at least in this area) echoed this allegiance. Plus my modeling contract was also (somewhere down the line) owned by Disney too.  
We were silent for the next half hour. Kohl was trying to check out coverage over Mayor Princeton and the conflict at Italiana while Dakota absentmindedly helped me pick out clothes. She'd just gone to ring them up for my birthday present while I sat down across from the registry when my phone vibrated in my tote and I reached inside and pulled it out.  
Instantly my stomach flipped. I had a text from Zac Efron, Joe's best friend and my escort for Nick and I's birthday masquerade tonight. As I opened the text I crossed my fingers. _Oh, please don't tell me he can't come either_, I prayed before I glanced down at the screen.

**From: High School Musical Boy**

**Hey, Happy Birthday Alexie.**

**Just Picked Up My Tux.**

**Can't Wait 4 Your Party L8R.**

I sighed in relief.

**From: Me**

**-oh, good then ur still coming.**

**Sent from My Motorola Backflip**

**From: High School Musical Boy**

**Of Course. I Wouldn't Miss It 4 The World. After All I'm Your Escort. And If I Stood You Up Your Brothers & Godfather Would All Kill Me.**

I laughed.

**From: Me**

**-yeah, ur rite; they r wayyy 2 overprotective.**

**Sent from My Motorola Backflip.**

I had just sent the text when Kohl returned from her quest to get a better web signal looking annoyed as she groaned.  
"What's wrong?" Dakota asked as I stood up and she handed me three paper white shopping bags.  
"The paps found us," Kohl answered. "I just looked out a window and they're positioned at both the entrances and the staff doors."  
"Ugh," I groaned, feeling a headache coming. "How did they find us?"  
Warily, Dakota sighed. "I'm guessing they may have followed me from Italiana."  
She turned to Kohl. "And you're sure that there's no way out."  
Nodding, Kohl answered, "Yep. They have the pretty such the entire place surrounded."  
I set my shoulders back. "Let's just get through this. The sooner the better." I stalked over the door and grabbed the handle before looking back at the girls. They both gave a slow nod so I pulled open the door and the second I did someone shouted, "There they are!" And suddenly a mob of photographers and camera crews flocked upon us, their camera flashes so plentiful there was a permanent glare on my eyeballs.  
"Stick close to me!" Kohl yelled as we stepped down the steps and straight into the thick of the crowd. "I have to find the car!"  
As we tried to get through, the paparazzi pressed against us even more shoving their cameras into our faces and shouting out questions, all meant to provoke us.  
One of them shouted to me. "Princess, how's your birthday going without your parents?"  
I stumbled as my heart painfully twisted in my chest and hot tears began to burn my eyes.  
"C'mon, Alexie!" Kohl cried, causing her to be singled out.  
"How do you feel about the accusations against Kimora?"  
Kohl froze and looked mad enough to spit nails. And the last thing you want to do is mess with an angry Kohl.  
"Kohl, no!" Dakota shouted, grabbing her by the arm, trying to shake her out of her anger. "C'mon, we have to go!"

"How's filming for Breaking Dawn? Over that dry spell yet, Dakota?" shouted another.  
Dakota's face turned paler which is bad seeing how already pale she is and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. Hurriedly, Kohl grabbed both Dakota and I's hand and we tried to surge forward through the crowd, using each other for strength as we kept the plastic smiles plastered to our faces.  
If there was anything that made me hate the press even more than their stalker-razzi tendencies, it was their sharpened ability to know how to hit you below the belt just so they could catch you off guard and get your reaction. Kohl's mom used to be the representative of Baby Phat but recently Kimora had been fired for reasons none of us knew. Some people were speculating that she was secretly stealing money from the company. Really, we didn't know if they were right or wrong but throwing it in Kohl's face just to catch her reaction and twist it into lies? What _**butt**_ heads!  
"Ugh," I muttered under my breath as we reached Kohl's golden yellow Lamborghini and hurriedly piled inside. "I wish the Teague's would get rid of _them_ once and for all."  
Dakota and Kohl all laughed and I tried to smile even though I realized that it was all forced. Because the paps had managed to hit us all under the belt; with Dakota's non-existent boyfriend, the scandal with Kohl's mom and the jab about my parents they'd managed to take us all down like that.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE:**

A few hours later I gazed in the large mirror as I brushed over the silky fabric of my dress, my expression solemn.  
_I wonder what my mom would've thought about this dress, _I wondered wistfully. _Would she have hated that my shoulders and back were exposed and it was strapless or would she have been in love with the color? Would she have said that it complimented my skin or that I was beautiful in it?_  
"Wow, princessa," I glanced up and saw that Brendan was in the doorway in a tuxedo. "You look like the most beautiful young lady." He stepped in the room, smiling at my reflection in the mirror. "My little girl is all grown up."  
_Oh, God._ I rolled my eyes, trying to blink away my melancholy thoughts. "Godfather, you're not about to actually start _crying_, are you?" I asked.  
Brendan turned away from me, dramatically letting out a huge sniffle. "No!"  
I burst out laughing. **Nick, we have a crier on Aisle Dad!**  
**You too? **He asked just as he walked into the room. **Bliss just finished an entire Kleenex™ box by herself. The reason we're here in the first place is to go hunting down another one because she's still going strong!**  
I smiled. **Did you get the whole, "you are growing up" deal too?**  
He stopped what he was doing for a moment and I could almost hear the laughter in his voice. That he was fighting not to show. **Yep.**  
"Ohh."  
I looked up and saw Bliss next to Brendan looking as golden blond and blue-eyed as he was dark-headed. "Alexyne-"  
I shook my head. "Bliss, don't you dare cry because if you do, I might start and all Gabby's hard work would be ruined." I said motioning towards my face.  
Gabby had spent an hour just on my make-up alone. She'd rubbed my face with liquid foundation, used gold eyeliner for my eyes and midnight blue eye shadow and volumizing mascara to give me smoky eyes, pale pink lips and a flawless complexion.  
Gabby poked her head in the room to say, "Don't worry, _cherie_. I used waterproof make-up. I'm not a sidewalk chalk artist waiting for a midnight shower to wash away all my hard work."  
I smiled at her. "Okay, then. Never mind."  
Bliss crossed the room to stand behind me, her arms on my shoulders. "All I was going to say your mother would've said you look like an exceptional woman." She revealed, gazing at my reflection.  
I tried to smile back, blinking away my tears. "You really think so?"  
Bliss nodded. "Alexyne," she said carefully arranging my hair so that half was castrating down my back and half over my shoulder as Brendan slipped out of the room. "I _know_ so."  
I swallowed hard, gazing at my reflection. The boys and my parents died in a car accident when Frankie was 4, right here in L.A. We had come to visit Bliss and Brendan and ended up never leaving. Brendan took us in along with his new wife Lilith. I knew in more ways than less we were luckier than others in our situation. Even though Kevin hadn't been old enough to become our guardian himself, we hadn't been separated across the country from one another. We weren't poor, neglected (like the press—or the fans—would let that happen!), we hadn't been abused in any kind of way. But that didn't make everything we lost any easier. I think we all would've given up everything—the fame, the money, all of it—to have our parents back. Even if just for a moment.  
The tears began to spill down my cheeks as I fought to breath. "I miss them so much." I broke. "Especially _today_. I never thought about how much of us growing up they'd miss until now."  
Nick came up behind me, taking my hand. **Twin, don't do this,** he begged. **Not today.**  
**I can't help it,** I told him before switching to verbal speech for both of them. "Our parents are gone and they're never coming back."  
"They aren't entirely gone." Pulling me comfortingly into her chest, Bliss contradicted me as her voice lit like I'd forgotten something.  
Sniffling I pulled back. "What do you mean?" I wanted to know, my nose stuffed.  
"They live in here," Bliss held one hand over her heart. She lifted my chin. "And there."  
"Where?"  
She shifted my shoulders backwards, straightening my posture and giving me the look of someone who in spite of their grief, managed to keep it strong for the people around her who needed her. Talk about ultimate _fail_.  
"In each and every one of you," she answered softly. "Everything about Paul and Denise—from your mom's Italian heritage," she motioned to Nick and I's darkened curls. "Denise's stubbornness," she outlined Nick's jaw, her finger managing not to touch his skin. "Your father's kindness," her fingers went on either side of my lips almost as if they were going to pluck them right off my face. She tapped both of our ears, a slight smile appearing. "And his love of music—everything about them lives on through _you_."  
I swallowed hard, wiping at my tears. "I never thought of it like that," I whispered.  
Brendan quickly poked his head in the doorway. "Hey, Princessa, Zac's here."  
"Umm, yeah," I called back, my voice still breaking slightly. I was trying to get my red, snotty, _obviously-just-been-crying _face under control. "I'm coming."  
Brendan must've noticed my tears or caught onto the melancholy moods in the air because he mouthed, _What's wrong?_ to Bliss.  
Bliss shook her head. _I'll tell you later, _she mouthed back.  
After cleaning up all the traces of my tears I could (my eyes were red and puffy still) I raised my dress up so I could walk and stood up. I reached over and kissed Bliss on the cheek. "Thanks, Godmother."  
Smiling at me, Bliss waved it off. "It's what I'm here for."  
Still holding my dress I walked across the room and past Brendan into the hall where I spotted Zac standing with his back to me.  
"Zac," I called and he turned around to face me. He was wearing a clean cut black tux and his longish hair was slicked back making his green-blue eyes look sharper then usual. He smiled at me. "Wow, Alexie, you look…" he paused and shook his head, "…great."  
I pretended to appraise him. "You don't look so bad yourself." I pretended to decide. We both laughed and I went over to hug him. "You clean up real nice, Efron. Reminds me of James Bond."  
He smiled. "Efron," he smirked . "Zac Efron."  
I burst out laughing. "Nice."  
There was a brief (but not awkward) pause for a long moment.  
"Here, I got you a corsage," Zac said finally, holding out a clear box with a large blue island flower corsage, noticeably that didn't go around my wrist.  
My face lit up. "Aww-my-gosh, Zac, you didn't have to do that." I cried as I took it from him and tried to work the box.  
"Well, I feel bad." He answered.  
That got my attention. "What do you mean?" I asked, my issues with the box aside.  
"You know that movie I'm doing? The one with Matthew Perry?" I nodded and Zac sighed. "Well it starts filming tomorrow and…"  
I nodded understanding where he was going with this. "And they want you to fly out today." It wasn't a question but instead a fact.  
Sheepishly, he nodded. "Yeah."  
Turning to the mirror on the wall. "How long can you stay?" I wanted to know.  
"For half an hour at least. No more than 45 minutes."  
I nodded. "Okay, that's fine. I'll still get to have my grand entrance."  
I cheerfully said, waving his apology aside. I gazed down at my reflection and sighed when I realized that at some point my purity ring had gotten stuck in my hair. "It is so _my_ luck this would happen tonight," I sighed.  
"Here, let me help you with that," Zac said, moving to stand face to face with me. I pulled my hair over my right shoulder so we could see what we were doing.  
We'd just gotten it free when— "What are you doing?" My brother demanded, his voice ringing from across the hall, his face thunderous as he stalked over to us.  
_Oh, no._  
"Joe," I began, turning around and standing in front of Zac protectively. "-it's not what you think."  
"I know what I saw, princessa. Now get out of my way."  
I raised my chin defiantly. "No."  
Joe's eyes locked on my own and narrowed. "What?"

"You heard me," I snapped. "I said no."  
"This mongrel," he sneered at Zac, "had his hands all over you-"  
"This mongrel is your friend!" I shot back. Joe's fiery glare didn't cool down so I snapped my fingers in his face. "Hey! He was just helping me out because this-" I shoved my purity ring necklace in his face, "-got stuck in my hair. Okay?"  
"That's all?" He asked evenly, his eyes still on Zac, who surprising hadn't said anything during this entire exchange. But then again he was around Joe on celeb-regular basis so I guess he would understand this spectacle more than most.  
Even though I was exasperatingly rolling my eyes, I nodded. " _Yes! _That's _it_."  
"Fine." Joe's glare lessened to a winter fireplace like heat and he relaxed his posture before adding, "You might be my friend Zac but if you cross lines with my sister…" his voice trailed off as he shook his head. "Don't make me bust a chop, _Efron._" He raised one eyebrow giving Zac this crazy eyed look before kicking one foot in the air. I could've sworn I head some threads of his tuxedo pants snap.  
I rolled my eyes. "Will you people stop? God, you are so _embarrassing_. Zac and I—we're just friends so keep your stupidity in your pants!" And with that I grasped Zac by the arm and pulled him with me, to stand in front of the framed mirror only 10 feet away from where we left.  
"I got my eye on you, Efron!" Joe called.  
I buried my head in my hands. "Oh my God."  
Under his breath, I heard Zac say, "With them around we'd never be able to be more even if we wanted to!"  
My laughter bubbling over, I sighed. "You have no idea."  
Entering the room, having only seen Joe's last bit, Nick slowly shook his head. "Joe, what the heck is wrong with you?" I heard him demand.  
Scoffing, I answered, "What's _not_ wrong with him? Mamma and Dad-" Joe's face froze and Nick flinched so slightly and only I saw it while I was struggling to breathe. "-probably left the crib gate down too low more than a couple of times resulting in this…this…" I waved a hand in Joe's direction. _"…Monstrosity."_  
Joe rolled his eyes. "Sexy monstrosity, you mean. See, 'cause I be like_-what-cha, hello." _He primped up the collar of his dress shirt collar reminding me of someone...  
I gasped. "You did not-"  
"-just quote George Lopez," Nick finished for me.  
Joe looked around at us with a sheepish look on his face. "What?"  
"Dude," Zac shook his head. "Not cool."  
I turned back to the mirror taking Zac's corsage and using a bunch of extra bobby pins Gabby had stuck to my dress, nestled it perfectly in my hair. I smiled and gazed at my reflection. I glanced up and smiled at my straight haired big brother who was suddenly standing next to me. Frankie stood next to him, holding out a small golden face mask. I took it from him and tied it around my neck before adjusting my hair to hide the silver ribbons.  
"You look beautiful, Princessa." Frankie told me, his face solemn.  
Smiling, I curtsied. "Thanks, Franks."  
Kevin cleared his throat loudly. "He's right."  
_Oh no, _I groaned internally. _Not this. Not _**again**_._  
"No crying." I warned him. "If you want to cry go find Bliss and Brendan. I'm pretty sure their having a boo-hoo cry fest somewhere around here somewhere."  
"Its just—" Kevin shook his head. "In that dress, you look so much like Mamma." He admitted.  
My eyes started to well up. That was the best compliment anyone could give me. "Oh, thanks, Kev." I said reaching over and wrapping an arm around both Frankie and Kevin.  
"I think that dress is a little too _revealing_ for my tastes." Joe quickly interjected, ruining the moment we were having. "Why don't I give you my jacket and-"  
"Joe! _Seriously_!" I snapped. "And for that matter, no one even asked you!"  
He sighed. "Well, Nick, you look dashing," he changed the subject, his voice suddenly sounding like an old and refined British man.  
Nick rolled his eyes toward Selena who just come up, following Kevin.  
Kevin mimicked him. "I nearly forgot the reason I came up here." He turned to Joe. "We're about to start. They need you down stairs for the introduction part.  
Joe nodded. "Okay. Let's go." He bowed to Nick and me. "Luck." He shot Zac one more crazed look before starting down the stairs. Frankie made grinned at me and made the cuckoo-cuckoo sign behind his back.  
"I saw that!" Joe called as they all made their way down the back stairs leading down into the ballroom without giving them all the spotlight and taking away from Nick and I's big moment.  
"I love your dress, Alexie," Sel told me. "What designer did you use?"  
"DaVinci," I smiled back. "And I love yours too, especially the roses."  
Selena was wearing and a dark midnight blue dress that ended at her knees. On one shoulder, three beautiful fabric roses added to the ensemble. She had a silver mask kind of like mine to hide her features and Nick had a matching one only his wasn't decorated. It was just silver and covered the whole of his face.  
Zac sighed. "I guess I better put this ol' thing on." He reached in his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a mask and did just that while Sel, Nick and me stood at the railing of the stairs, staring down at the incoming guests.  
I smirked when I spotted Miley Cyrus. **Oh, look, its the return of the ex.**  
Nick followed my gaze and his face grew fiery yet like a stone much to my chagrin. Nick had semi-dated Miley for a while after she tricked him into breaking up with Selena. And when this was all uncovered Nick dumped Miley on live TV making her the laughing stock of Hollywood. Saying she hated them would be saying the least. But the two of us weren't friends in the least so I had no idea why she was here.  
**At least **_my_** ex showed up,** he shot back.** I don't see yours around here**.  
I shot him a glare. **Oh, I wonder why?** I snapped.  
Before Camp Rock, which was the official rise of the Jonas Brothers fame, we hadn't been allowed to date. Well, at least Nick and I. But then Nick met Selena and Kevin decided to lift the no-dating ban as long as we promised to remember to be pure. Therefore we all took a vow of chastity and got our oh-so-famous purity rings (my ring is on a necklace around my neck).  
In the beginning I didn't date because, well, who could I? No one had caught my eye yet. But then Selena set me on a date with her Wizards of Waverly Place co-star, David Henrie. The date had started out okay. Not too great but not too shabby either. But then at the awkward doorstep_, to-kiss-or-not-to-kiss_ end of the date, the boys interrupted and ended up embarrassing me so bad they managed to scare him—along with all future prospects away.  
He smiled but answered, **we can argue later. The music is about to start.**  
I could hear the grin in his voice as Joe announced, "And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Escorted by Selena Gomez and Zac Efron are my little brother and sister…"  
"That's our cue," Selena nodded.  
A soft ballad started to play and I ran to grab Zac's arm.  
**Ready? **Nick asked.  
I nodded.  
"Let's go." He said aloud as all four of us stepped onto the stairs, girls on the left, closest to the silver railing and the guys on our right. Nick and Selena went first and I followed, trying to neatly keep my arm folded into Zac's while using my left hand to hold onto the railing so wouldn't fall while also holding up my dress so I wouldn't.  
_Maybe I should've wished for a third arm, _I thought with a smile just as we rounded the curve of the stairs and in the view of our guests.  
The ballroom had been decorated with my dress color and Nick's tux color combined. Midnight blue, black and gold were everywhere. The carpeted area where the tables were was dark rich blue and the wood on the dance floor was black. The tables had blue and gold place settings at each of them. I spotted some celebs in the crowd. Jaden and Willow Smith, Taylor Swift, (neutrals), Raven Symone, Brenda Song, Sterling Knight and Emma Roberts, just to name a few.  
We reached just as Joe finished, _"…Nicholas Jerry and Alexyne Skylie Jonas_!"

By that point we reached the bottom of the stairs which ended right next to the stage. When we were all positioned in a line in front of them, Nick and me next to each other, the guests started to applaud as we smiled graciously at them. Okay, Nick's was strained but other than that.  
I eyed him out of the corner of my eye and we both started towards the stage where Joe was. A glossy black grand piano was at the front of the stage which is where Nick and I both took our seats.  
"Before my brother and I let you off for the night, we were wondering if we could have a moment of your time," I said into microphone Joe had surrendered over to me.  
Nick nodded into the one next to the piano. "We'd like to share a little something we've been working on for a while."  
I smiled and leaned into the microphone. "Let us know if you like it."  
He closed his eyes and began to play the notes of the song we'd helped write, both the music and lyrics, _Only Hope._  
_"There's a song that's _  
_inside of my soul,"_ I sang, keeping my eyes on Nick's hands as he played.  
_"It's the one that I've tried _  
_to write over and over again,"_ Nick sang back, his eyes cosed, letting his soul guide his hands.  
I leaned forward, _"I'm awake in the _  
_infinite cold."_  
_"But you sing to me _  
_over and over and over again."_  
Together we started to sing the chorus. _"So I lay my head back down. _  
_And I lift my hands and-" _I clasped the palms of my hands together in a mimic of praying hands. "_-pray. _  
_To be only yours. _  
_I pray to be only yours. _  
_I know now your my only hope."_  
My own hands joined Nick's dancing ones, across the bleached ivory of the keys for a few seconds before a violin added to our piece, my cue to start walking to the center of the stage before we continued on.  
The corners of my mouth lifted into a slight smile as I felt all my awareness of the world outside our music slip away from me. I almost loved singing this part as much as writing it.  
"_Sing to me the song of the stars. Of your galaxy dancing and laughing,"_ I let out a laugh and spun around in a circle, _"and laughing again."_  
His voice low, Nick finished his verse, "_When it feels like my dreams are so far." _Kevin played his violin harder. "_Sing to me of the plans _  
_that you have for me, over again."_  
With the newly joined instruments we began the chorus with freshly gained enthusiasm.  
I looked up to sweep my eyes across my audience just as my eyes caught a dark haired guy in a red comical mask, watching me at the back of the room as Nick started pounding the keys as I started singing the bridge. "_I give you my destiny. _

_I'm giving you all of me._

_I want your symphony. _

_Singing in all that I am." _My voice raised and I continued on with all the power I could press into my voice. "_At the top of my lungs,_

_I'm giving it back._

_So I laid my head back down. _

_And I lift my hands and-"_

"_-pray-_" Nick broke in.

"-_to be only yours."_ I couldn't look away from him.

"_I pray-_"

"_-to be only __**yours.**__"_ I couldn't stop the pointed way I sang 'yours'. It was almost if I was singing straight and only to him.

Passionately, Nick sang, _"I pray-"_

_"-to be only yours. _

_I know now you're my _

_only hope."_ My voice softened at 'hope', almost whispering it. I took my seat next to Nick at the piano once more. The violin strummed out into a brief solo before I finished. _"Mmm. Mmm, hmmmm, hmm. Oooo. O, o, o, o, o. O, o, o, o, o, o, ooo."_

We sat in silence before everyone started clapping like crazy.

Happily, I grabbed Nick's hand and pulled him up with me to center stage where we could fully bask in the enthusiastic praise of the crowd. I felt my eyes skim the audience for that hidden face but whoever he was was gone now. I swallowed my disappointment and tried to focus on the excitement of my current situation.  
**Twin**, I told Nick, keeping a smile plastered to my face as I squeezed his hand and we bowed. **We **_so_** rocked that.** Then jokingly I added, **and ****you weren't so bad yourself.** He shoot me a look and laughing, I nudged him before grabbing the microphone. "Thank you for your time!" I shouted into it.  
Nick quickly snatched it from me. "And thanks for coming to our party," Nick added, eyeing me and rolling his eyes because of my rudeness.  
"Oh, yeah." I nodded, "That too."  
Selena and Zac made their way back over and taking their hands we got off stage as the band Bliss had hired started to play.  
Zac looked grim as he pulled me into the entrance hall where valets were taking cars. "You have to go now, don't you?" I guessed with a sigh.  
He nodded. "Yeah. And I am so sorry, Alexie. I swear I'll make this up to you."  
Shaking my head, I contradicted him. "Zac, you dealt with my crazy family. In my book that makes us even. If anything _I_ owe you."  
A silver car pulled up into the front and Zac sighed. "Well, this is me."  
Thankfully, I smiled at him. "Thanks for tonight,"  
He smiled back before going through the doors and outside, getting in the passenger seat of the car. He turned back to look at me and I forced myself to smile and wave. He gave an awkward smile back before the car pulled onto the street. I waved until his car was out of sight before I turned around and walked into the building. I re-entered the ballroom from the entrance closest to the stage.  
_What am I going to do now?_ I wondered dejectedly. _My friends aren't here. My date had to leave early…am I destined to spend my birthday alone?_  
I glanced around the room wondering what to do now when I saw the boy from when I was on stage. And just as I spotted him a sharp throbbing pain shot through my temples. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples in a circular motion.  
_A smile white and beautiful gazed at her. "If you're offended by the touch of my hand, my two lips are here like two blushing pilgrims ready to make things better.…" Lips pressed to the outer of her hand. "…with a kiss."_  
Confused I opened them and found that I eyes were fixated on the boy I'd spotted during Nick and I's song.  
He was standing in the corner in the same red, comical mask, wearing a plain semi-formal black suit that made him stand out more obviously then the way he commanded the air about him. It wasn't just that he drew in everyone about him in but it was the way he handled it. Instead of basking in the glory, he was content in the background watching from the shadows. He looked up and even though both our eyes were covered by our masks I knew our eyes locked. Suddenly my throat was dry and I couldn't breathe. And all there was was him. He was standing near the curtain leading backstage.  
Meaningfully, he glanced back and forth to check if anyone was watching, before he slipped behind the curtain.  
Without even thinking about what I was doing I made my way through the outskirts of the couples on the dance floor to where the boy had just disappeared. I shot a look over my shoulder making sure no one was watching me before I lifted the curtain and slipped inside.  
There was a long hall of space concealed by the curtain which was so thick I could only hear people close enough to lift it up if they wanted to. I glanced around but the whole thing looked empty.  
There was no one here. Wistfully I sighed and started to head for the opening in the opposite direction. Maybe the boy didn't mean to beckon me over. He could've easily meant someone else.  
Suddenly someone said, "Behind you."


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

I gasped and jumped, turning around.  
It was _him_.  
I recognized the strong shoulders, bulging arm muscles and the lay of dark hair peeking from the top of his mask.  
He smirked, bending down and with a sideways look, appraised me. "You followed me. I didn't think you would."  
I stopped and blinked. _Oh_, I thought instantly disappointed. _He's one of those guys the boys are always warning me about. A player._ I made myself laugh, trying to ignore the current of energy flowing between our bodies.  
"Oh, I'm not completely like the docile girls I'm sure you go place to place, crashing party to party (his eyebrow raised at that. He was obviously surprised that I'd caught onto that) preying on. And that was just your parlor trick to your hook-line-sinker method, am I right?"  
"Preying?" At that he scoffed. "I don't prey. Girls _willing_ come to me. But then again," he whispered, his eyes fixating on me almost as if he was stripping me down to my very soul. "_You_ already know that, don't you?"  
Swallowing, I tried to shake off his effect on me. "And how would I?" I questioned.  
Keeping his arm above me to show just who was in charge, he bent down to my ear and brushed some hair back behind my shoulder. His warm breath tickled my skin as he softly said, "Well…you're _here,_ aren't you?" With a smirk and a sudden jerk, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. He moved his other hand to grasp my chin, teasingly grazing my lips with his fingertips.  
"I see through you, you know," I breathed through clenched teeth deciding to get straight to the point because I couldn't fight him any longer and my body would given into him.  
"What do you mean?" Huskily, he asked, leaning into me.  
I was struggling to breathe and focus. "Your whole _I'm-a-player-and-no-one-can-hurt-me attitude_," I answered. "It's just protecting yourself from ever getting hurt. But isolating yourself in a self-proclaimed circle is just setting yourself up for a life where you die alone and unloved."  
He froze and pulled away, managing to take all the electricity between us, with him. "Wow," he blinked. "You're the first person to ever be that honest with me."  
"It's a gift." I managed to laugh and shrugged, "or a curse. It's all very dependent on how you look at it."  
"I'm going to say crudely honest," he whispered. He was now staring down at me searchingly but also in wonder. His facade slipped to the marble floor and suddenly I could see the boy who had managed to draw me out of my music. "You know," he began slowly. "There's something different about you."  
I rolled my eyes "That's the oldest line in the book."  
He shook his head. "I'm serious. There's something about all of this including you that-" he shook his head. "I don't know how to explain it." He went on, turning to stare down into my eyes.  
I could feel my knees shaking at his closeness. I felt my throat close up as the air between us pulsated with energy. As if pulled to him by a chain, dazedly I moved my body closer to him, my back pushing off the wall as I tried to get closer to him. Our lips were just about to meet when all the sudden-  
"Alexie, where are you?" I could hear Kevin calling.  
My eyes widened. _Dang it!_ I cried.  
But the last thing I needed was for him to catch me in a less than subtle position with a guy-let alone one who would seem random to him. Then he, Nick, God forbid Joe and even Frankie would all fly off their handles. Oh yeah, and Brendan would make what they did to David look like _amateur _work!  
"Crap, I have to go!" I told him reluctantly pulling back and straightening my posture. I was turning to go when he grabbed my waist suddenly sending me forward, my hands splaying out against his firm chest. "I have to go." I repeated. "They can't find me here. You don't realize what they would do to you."  
I didn't know him but I could feel something-something more powerful then just my obvious attraction to him, drawing me to him. And the last thing I wanted was for him to be hurt.  
Darkly, he chuckled as if the very idea was absurd. "They don't scare me." He shook his head. "But that isn't what I meant."  
"Then what did you mean?" I asked my voice soft as I gazed up into his eyes.  
"Meet me." His voice was rough and filled with such an intensity, I knew I would come. It wasn't just that he had the air to make me know I had to obey but that I wanted to. I needed to see him again.  
I almost cried, _what?_ But we didn't have time for him to repeat it and then for me to pretend to muse over it. "When?" I breathed.  
"I'll send someone," he said hurriedly waving that aside. I could feel his eyes fixating on me as he moved on to what was more important to him. "Will you come?"  
Quickly I nodded once and satisfied with my answer he dropped his arm and hurried to duck behind the curtain once more.  
Suddenly feeling like all the oxygen that had been sucked from the room was returned all in one breath went slack against the wall. I closed my eyes and tried to even my heartbeat which was going 1,000 beats a minute.  
**Alexie?**  
I jumped and leapt away from the wall. It look a moment before I realized that it wasn't Kevin coming around the corner but _Nick_ in my head, checking up on me.  
I cleared my throat and quickly fixed my dress and my hair. **Yeah?** I asked.  
**What's going on?** He wanted to know. **Where are you?**  
**Erm,** I glanced around before I decided to just tell the truth. **I was...just saying goodbye to Zac. He had to fly out on location and couldn't stay for long.**  
**Really, Lex?** Nick said. **That sucks. You've been planning this party for months and your date had to leave early-** I felt his shift of mood from sympathetic concern to annoyance. **You've been planning this party for months. You have me out here in a tux, playing nice to all these people and your **_**date**_** got to skip town?**  
**He didn't skip town,** I rolled my eyes. **And Nick, if you want to be president then you need to get used to playing hostess,** I reminded him.  
**I'm rolling my eyes, Lex.** Nick replied exasperatedly. **You owe me for this. And I mean big time too.**  
I sighed. **Fine. Whatever. Just throw it in with the other IOUs.**  
I picked up my dress hem and made my way back to the curtain I'd walked through to get here. I glanced back and suddenly it all came flooding back. The boy, everything he'd said, how we'd nearly kissed, and everything I felt when he was near. My heart started strumming harder again and for a moment I couldn't breathe. So I turned around and went sailing through the curtain back to where I came from.  
Then immediately gasped as my heart flew to cover my throat. "Oh my god, Gabs you scared me!" I cried, my heart beating like crazy as I took her in. "Why did you just do that? I almost had a heart attac-"  
"A _boy_ found me..." Gabby interrupted me her eyebrow raised as she looked at me, watching for my reaction. "...and he was looking for _you_."  
My heart caught in my throat as I froze. "He did?" I breathed.  
_Oh thank God. I was going to get to see him again after all_.  
My brow furrowed. "Wait-how did he know to tell you of all people ?" I wondered. Then I shook my head. _Does_ _that really matter? I know that I get to see him again_! I turned to Gabby excitedly. "What did he say?"  
"First off, _ow._" She grimaced, removing my hand from her arm where I could see the imprints of my nails on her arm.  
I shot her an apologetic look. "Oh, sorry. And second?"  
"He said to meet him in the corner of the garden..." she answered before she was interrupted. _Bong! Bong-bong-bong_! Gabby raised her eyebrow again as she eyed the clock with a slight smile. "When the clock strikes midnight."  
I turned to follow her gaze towards the clock, over my shoulder. Both the big hand and the small hand overlapped each other as they pointed to the golden twelve as my heart caught in my throat. It was now 12 o'clock.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE:**

Smiling, Gabby sent me a look. "Well?" She demanded. "What are you waiting for? A orange carriage and some rats? Go! Get out of here."  
"But what if the guys-"  
She shook her head. "Don't worry, _cherie_, I'll cover for you. But I won't need to if you don't hurry up and go."  
"Gabs," I smiled. "I love you _so_ much right now. You are the best _non_-sister ever."  
She grinned back. "Just go, Alexie."  
I shot her one last grateful smile before I took off through the side doors and outside.  
My heart pounding in my chest, I hurriedly rounded the corner of the building and instantly my entire body sighed with relief.  
He stood in the middle with his back to me in the moonlight. Hearing my steps rounded the corner he turned around. He didn't smile as he took me in and I felt my heart sink a little.  
He made his way over to me. "You came." He began again. It was a question or filled with surprise and doubt. It wasn't even a statement. Simply, it was just him, observing.  
I smiled a little and bobbed my head up and down. "I told you I would."  
He smiled now and took my head in his hands and stared down at me. "Wait, I want to try something." He said.  
I nodded, the oxygen exiting the air so fast my brain was beginning to feel dizzy. "Oh?" I asked, breathlessly.  
He nodded. "But I can't do it with your mask on."  
I laughed. "Oh, right.'  
I reached up and pulled my hair up so that he could untie the two ribbons that held my mask over my face. Then he pulled them back and let the mask fall into his hands. My heart in my throat, I slowly let down my hair before turning to face him.  
He stared at me for a long moment as his eyes filled with something like wonder as he drank me in. The chocolate brown curls framing my face. My creamy white skin sheering in the moonlight . My emerald green fighting against the dark brown for dominance over my eyes.  
Finally a smile overtook his face and he took my face into his hands. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered, gazing into my eyes like I was the only girl in the universe.  
A smile lit up my face as I gazed at him. "Thank you," I responded, rather somewhat shyly. "And what about you?"  
His eyebrows came together in confusion. "What about me?  
I tapped it gently. "Your mask." I told him, my voice lit with giddiness and laughter.  
He suddenly looked like he'd just gotten punched back to reality and wished to be anywhere but here. "Oh, right." He muttered, blinking slowly as he gazed away from me.  
"I don't care if you're the beast, you know." I softly said.  
"The beast?" He repeated turning to look at me, still confused.  
"You know, the horribly ugly guy in Beastly." I answered. At his blank stare I tried to clarify more specifically. "Or the monster from the legend, Beauty and the Beast." Realization hit him but not understanding. So I said it again. "I don't care."  
_Because despite if you are "beastly" or average, right now you are the one thing anchoring me to the planet_, I thought, keeping my gaze steadily on his. Then wanted to smack myself because: _there is no such thing as love at first sight. There is no such thing as love at first sight._ I chanted mentally, hoping to weaken some of my attachment to him. It didn't work.  
He started to laugh. "You are one strange girl, you know that?" He said moving a tendril aside as he cradled part of my neck and lower jaw in his hand. And I knew he wasn't calling me weird.  
I laughed too. "Yes. After all, I'm a teenage supermodel but yet who loves nothing more than to curl up with a good book. In Hollywood, strange doesn't even begin to cover it."  
Shaking his head and laughing again, he pulled up the rubber string from behind his head and before turning to me so I could do the rest. I gently moved the mask up to the top of his head and sadness filled my heart.  
It wasn't because seeing his face was a major let down to all the buildup. If anything that was the last thing he was. He had thick, black hair that flopped from his scalp to a few strands hanging down into his eyes. His skin was golden bronzed and I could tell it wasn't that fake tanning crap Californians were obsessed with. He had a strong nose over full lips and a sexy, self-assured smile. No, he was more beautiful then I imagined.  
My heart sank because I recognized his face and therefore who and _what_ he was.  
My eyes widened and I gasped as I yanked back my hand as if I'd been burned. "Oh my god," I gasped. "You're one of them. You're a _Teague_."


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX:**

He'd been grinning down at me, his expression lit with something awestruck but instantly his face turned hard. "And you must be one of Connell Lett's." He shot back, as he scowled. He turned to go and I felt something in my heart break.  
"Wait-" I grabbed him by the arm and my voice choked. "Don't go. I'm sorry."  
"Why should I stay?" He demanded mockingly as he quickly spun around to face me. "This was obviously a mistake."  
"I was just..." I struggled to find the word. "...surprised." I began, trying to explain as I kept my grip on his arm. "It doesn't matter to me who you are or who you work for." My face reddened and I tried to start again. "I-I-I mean, I care who you are but not about the working for _them_ part."  
His scowl disappeared. "You're cute when you blush." He commented softly, reaching out and pushing a curl behind my ears. His fingers strayed down my cheek grazing my skin and making me tremble slightly. My brief movement shook him out of his stupor. "I shouldn't be doing that," he told me, his voice soft now, dropping his fingers from my face. "Any of this really," he shook his head. "You're right, I should go." He started back towards the entrance back into the ballroom.  
I shook my head before running to stand in front of him, my hands outstretched and holding onto his forearms. "Don't go. Please? There's..." I prayed before going on. _Oh, please don't let this be a mistake._

"...obviously something between us and I know you feel it too."  
He sighed. "You're right." He muttered though it seemed it was more directed towards himself then me. He held out his arm for me and when I took it we started to walk together. "Tell me your name," he asked, as we took a seat on the stone bench in the corner of the garden.  
My skirts billowed out and around me. "Alexie."  
His eyes widened slightly. "Wait-Alexie? As in-you're the Jonas Princess?"  
Wondering how he hadn't figured that out when Nick and I were singing Only Hope, I nodded. "Yep. That's me."  
"It's a beautiful name," he commented.  
I turned from the moon and a smile touched my lips. "Thanks."  
"And I'm Taylor," he moved on.  
"Oh, I _know_." I knowingly blurted out before I could stop myself.  
He raised one eyebrow. "Oh, you do, do you?" He laughed. "And how, may I ask?"  
"I think, I've seen a bunch of your movies." I explained, lowering my eyes in embarrassment.  
Catching my mood, he peeked down under my eyes. "Like?" Taylor chided, teasingly.  
I didn't say anything and he got up to leave. "Maybe this is a mistake after all," he said pointedly, not even half-serious, but enough to scare me.  
"Okay, okay!" I quickly gave in, grabbing him by the hand and tugging on his arm. I hadn't even known him for an hour but I knew I'd do anything he asked of me. I couldn't help but slightly hate him for it, for the power he easily held over me. "Let me think for a second."  
Taylor smirked at me but he sat back down. "Well?" He prompted keeping our hands together.  
"The Twilight movies, of course," I began, my cheeks getting hot again. I didn't want him to think I was one of those crazy Twi-fans who thought of Twilight and nothing else. "And Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and one of my faves, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl."  
Taylor laughed. "That's your favorite?"  
"Hey, I like that movie!" Defensively, I shot back. Although it wasn't just about the movie itself but everything it represented, reminded me of. "I wish I could make my own world with milk-and-cookie lands and talking dreamed up robots."  
"That actually explains something." He mused, his voice thoughtful.  
"What?"  
He glanced over at me, his smile gone and his expression sober. "How you knew that I'm of Monty Teague." Quietly, Taylor answered.  
I pulled my hand away from his. "Let's not talk about that." I whispered.  
Taylor looked over at me. "Why not?"  
"Because it just reminds me of why-" tears welled up in my eyes and almost choked me into silence. I shook my head. "I can't."  
"Can't what?"  
I looked away and blinked myself back to normalcy. "Nothing."  
"Alexie, look at me." Taylor begged. And once again I couldn't make myself to do what he asked. I turned to gaze up into his eyes. He stared back for a long moment then he bent down and his lips met mine.  
I'd been kissed before and though there wasn't bursts of fireworks in my head I felt something tingling from the tips of my elbows a d my knees, traveling down my legs and up my arms until the fast increasing feeling reached the tips of my toes and fingers and exploded. I gasped into him and swooned against him but Taylor reached out and his arms surrounded me pulling me into him. My head was spinning and I couldn't breath as I clang to him, responding with a zest I never knew I had in me. My fingers wound in his hair and I moved with him-against him-to music only we knew as he held me and mirrored my movements.  
Loudly, the clock struck one time signifying it was now 1:00. We pulled away from each other and stared up at it. _How could an hour have already passed,_ I wondered. _That makes no sense._  
"I need to go," Taylor said staring at the clock before he rapidly let me go.  
"Oh," I cried, managing to catch myself. I grabbed onto the railing to steady myself before I turned to look at Taylor who was lost in thought. "When will I see you again?" I couldn't stop myself from demanding.

"I don't know." He answered glancing around the garden. He was probably making sure none of his party-crashing-Teague-friends saw the two of us together.  
I wanted to cry. _You don't know or you don't care?_ But I knew enough about guys _(seeing how I grew up with four brothers)_ to know when a guy was blowing a girl off. I picked up my mask and tried to walk back towards the house with as much dignity I could muster.  
"And where are you going?" Taylor wanted to know, suddenly standing in front of me.  
"Back to my _party_." I snapped in an obvious and pointed kind of voice. "There's nothing of _importance_ keeping me here."  
"What are you talking about?" Exasperatedly demanded Taylor. "Why are you upset?"  
I glowered at him. _It is so obvious! Just use your brain!_ I mentally snapped. "Nothing, okay! I just want to go back to my..." I paused for a moment as I tried to think of excuse. "...family."  
And it was then I heard a something snap behind us. I spun around just as Gabby entered the garden. She was about to say something when Taylor turned around too. She froze when she saw Taylor's face and turned to me, her brows kneaded together. She understood more about this whole feud thing then I did but she didn't seem all that fazed.  
Gabby shook her head, "That's not why I'm here."  
My brow furrowed. "Then why-"  
Gabby took a step forward. "Joe's coming." She answered sending a harried look over her shoulder. "And he's looking for _you_."  
_No! Not now-not _**yet**_._ "Here?" I cried, stalling for time. Wishing to stay in the dark, here in this moment with Taylor. "_Now_?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Yes, and we have to leave. Now. Before he comes-"  
I understood immediately. _Before he finds me with Taylor. _My breath caught in my throat as I turned to look at him. _And once again I have to leave_, I thought annoyed. My heart started to rip apart in my chest as fear took over me. _When was I ever going to be able to see him again? Who was to say I ever would?_  
"I _will_ see you again." He must've read my mind, saying them in an pointed kind of way that I didn't understand.  
_"Alexie, c'mon, I know you're here..."_ Joe called, freezing my heart in terror.  
"Lex, we have to go!" Reminded Gabby as she tugged on my arm.  
Nodding at her, I stood on my toes, threw my arms around Taylor's neck and kissed him with all my might, my anger and determination to leave him gone, gone now that I really had too.  
_Oh, please! Oh, please, please, please, come back to me!_ I thought as I pulled away, staring into his eyes. I wasn't sure if it was a prayer or if I wanted him to understand what he was doing to me but I knew I had to get my point across.  
I dropped my arms from around his neck and let Gabby drag me across the garden all the while keeping my eyes locked on him.  
Taylor stared back at me, his face expressionless.  
His words whispered yet firm floated on the night air haunting me. _I _will_ see you again..._

_I hope so,_ I thought before turning around to face forward so that Gabby wouldn't end up accidentally making me fall on my face.  
"Joe, what's wrong?" Brendan was saying just as Gabs and I reached him.  
"There's been a security breach. There are a bunch of Teabag crashers here." Joe said, his eyes flickering over to Gabby and I just as we stopped before them.  
Teabags were a slanderous word meant to describe Teagues. Not that I understood why calling someone a tea bag qualified as an insult but whatever.  
My eyes widened and I exchanged a quick look with Gabby before I looked away. "What? Here? Why would a bunch of Teague's want to crash a teenage birthday party?" I asked, trying to sound concerned and hoping my voice didn't crack under pressure and give me away. It was taking everything I had not to turn and run back to Taylor to make sure he was safe.  
"Because they live on destruction," Joe darkly answered, his expression brooding. "But I'm going to teach them a lesson or two. The last thing we need is a bunch of Teagues here with God-knows-what planned."  
"Who's to say they aren't just here to have a little fun? Nothing more than a little party crashing?" I asked, speaking more to Brendan then Joe or Gabby, who was silently watching this all unfold.  
"Princessa," Joe shook his head. "Sometimes I forget just how young you really are."  
Talk about a mental slap. I'd always considered my nickname as something to remind me how loved I was. But now it was a slap to let it known how ignorant and I belittled I am.  
Joe turned back to Brendan. "The last thing I'm going to do is let some stupid Teague's come into my party and ruin it. Brendan, let me throw them out."  
"Our party." I corrected before I could stop myself.  
Joe turned to give me the evil eyeball. "What?"  
"You said _your_ party but it's…Nick and I's…party…" I told him, my voice growing meek the more his fiery glance was upon me.  
Joe rolled his eyes at me before turning to Brendan. "Let's talk about this inside," Brendan said. He and Joe moved forward and Gabby followed.  
And so did I. Only right before I stepped back into the ballroom, I turned back to catch one last glimpse of him. But Taylor was already gone.


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

"Oh, Gabs, I have to see him again." I cried sinking into my bed five hours later, just happy to be back home in my bed.  
The rest of the night had crawled by. Joe went through the crowd trying to root out any party crashers but the ones he'd discovered were all just people who wanted to get inside an A-list celebrity party. Not Teague's bent on causing problems. It seemed they'd all disappeared right after I had said goodbye to Taylor. (Thank God for that.)  
Gabby shook her head as she brushed my hair back. "Alexie, are you naïve?" she asked. "It was one thing to sneak off with him tonight but you know you can't have any kind of relationship with him." She started plaiting my hair into a long braid. "There is just too much bad blood between Lett's and Teague's for it to be successful–and that was only even if it was allowed. If I had known who he was, I never would've pushed you to go."

Deep down I knew she was right but I didn't want cold, hard logic. What could logic tell me about how every part of my body from my soul to my heart was singing out his name?  
"I guess," I muttered grumpily.  
She finished the plait and started to tie it with a scrunchie. "Look, you're only seventeen, Cherie. And you're beautiful at that. Before you know it, guys will be throwing themselves at you left and right and–"  
"But I don't _want_ anyone else, Gabby," I whined, uncharacteristically. "I want _him_" I switched out of the voice of a 13 year old and acting more my age, before I said, "I swear this entire night with him, I've never felt so alive. It was like, hanging out with a Teague was normal from the moment I _saw_ him."  
Gabby's lips sent in a straight line. "Alexie, I thought you don't believe in love at first sight."  
My head snapped up. "I don't!"  
Mamma had taught me that. There was _lust_ at first sight or attraction but never love.  
"It's just," Gabby paused and pressed her lips together before carefully choosing her next words. "Cherie, what you just described sounds just like that."  
I shook my head. "Only it's _not_, Gabby. Something draws me to him. Something more than just my feelings for him. It was almost as if…" my voice trailed off.  
"As if what?" Gabby pressed.  
I shook the thought out of my mind. _No. That was impossible._ "Nothing, it's stupid."  
Gabby eyed my reflection in the mirror, her expression curious but I refused to divulge. "There. I'm done. Now, off to bed with you."  
_But I don't want anyone else,_ echoed inside as I climbed under the covers of my bed. _I want him._  
"Good night, Alexyne." Gabby called as she made her way to the door.  
"Night, Gabs." I replied softly as she closed it after her.  
Closing my eyes I tried to lull myself to sleep.

...But I couldn't.  
In my mind, all I could think of was him—of Taylor. I was remembering the rumble of his laughter…his gorgeous smile…the sound of his voice…the feel of his lips against mine… My eyes flew wide open. _Yeah, I am so not going to be able to fall asleep._  
I got up and pulled on my booties before opening one of the doors leading out to the balcony.  
I sighed as I set my elbows on the railing and sat my chin on top of my fist. I gazed up at the stars remembering all the stories my father once told me about the Gods and their roles in the constellations. There was one specifically my thoughts were laid upon because it reminded me of...well, it's kind of obvious.

_"Story time! Story time! It's _**story**_ time!" I yelled grabbing my father by the hand and pulling him towards my room._  
_"It's also _**bed**_time, princessa," he reminded me, firm enough to get his point across but I knew he wasn't really upset with me._  
_My hand rushed to clap over my mouth and I made a face. "Sorry, Daddy." I said in my inside voice before I climbed into my bed. I climbed under the covers and before tucking me in, Daddy turned on the lamp and pulled the rocking chair up next to me. He held a thick white hardcover book of folktales which were my favorites._  
_The plastic covering it crinkled as Daddy opened the book to the well placed bookmarker, adjusted his glasses and began to read._  
_"Once upon a time in the land of Sky there was a talented goddess named Penlani who was deemed the task of weaving clouds, the task deemed to her by celestial bigwigs-"_  
_"Daddy," I interrupted._  
_His eyes were skimming ahead in the story, "Hmm?" he absentmindedly answered._  
_"What's a bigwig?"_  
_He managed to snap out of his daze. "It is someone of extreme importance. Like a king such as the ruler of Mount Olympus and the Greek Gods, Zeus." he answered._  
_I nodded expressively. "Oh. Okay."_  
_He began to start reading again. "-by celestial big wigs. But though she was very skilled, Penlani was very shy and extremely quiet. One day, her father, Idan the god of time) decided that he wanted Penlani to have a chance at love and happiness rather than to be alone all her life. And so he began to search for a husband for her to marry." He turned the pages of the book. "Idan soon heard of a man named Tauros who was in charge of herding the cattle of the heavens. It was said that Tauros was as hard of a worker as Penlani was. And so Idan had Tauros invited to his house and introduced him to his daughter."_  
_I kicked my feet back and forth as I bit on my hand, waiting for the next part._  
_"Almost immediately Tauros and Penlani fell in love."_  
_**"Oooo**__," I gushed wistfully._  
_Daddy shot me a stern look over his glasses. "Alessia..." he said warningly, calling me by my mother and his Italian name for me._  
_My hands rushed to slap over my mouth once more and I shot him a sheepish look. "Sorry."_  
_After shooting me another look, Daddy returned to the pages. "But soon Tauros and Penlani began to spend all of their time together. And in so, Penlani's cloud weavings stopped being made. Tauros stopped herding the cattle so they were free to roam and ravage all over the heavens. Soon people began to worry and the other gods grew angry and demanded Idan do something about Penlani and Tauros' neglected work-"_  
_"Neglected?"_  
_"Uh...forgotten work." He answered before continuing on. "Idan searched for answers to his problem but there only was one. To make sure the two-" Dad coughed, "ahem-__**lovers**__-continued to do their work and weren't distracted by each other, Idan had Tauros relocated on other side of the river Milky Way, separating them. At at first it seemed to work. Unable to see Tauros, Penlani returned to her weaving. Only now instead of quiet and shy, she was miserable and heartbroken. This in turn made Penlani's weavings drenched with her tears. And when hung in the sky heavily rained down on the earth below creating massive floods."_  
_"That's stew-pod," I blurted before I could stop._  
_Daddy looked up from the book. "What is, Alessia?"_  
_I shot him an exact copy of the "Duh!" look Joe had perfected years ago. "Making Penlani and Tauros not be together anymore."_  
_He pushed up his glasses, his expression thoughtful and filled with (what I now understood as) dismissal. "But they were both too distracted by each other to contend to their responsibilities-or rather, to do their jobs."_  
_"But now they're sad too." I protested. "Working is stew-pod."_  
_Daddy didn't say anything though his dismissal was plain upon his face, "Well, let's see what happens next. Idan knew he had to find a way so that both his daughter and Tauros could be together but also do their work without becoming too distracted. And so a compromise was made. Idan finally allowed Tauros to marry his daughter with one condition."_  
_"What's a condition?" I asked, completely letting go of my promise to not interrupt._  
_"It can similar to a term." At my puzzled look Daddy rephrased himself, "It's a request, such as when Nicholas lets Kevin use his guitar as long as he drives him to the library."_  
_Understanding I nodded and we turned back to the book._  
_"So both Penlani and Tauros agreed that only on the seventh day of the seventh month when doves from the world below Sky would create a crossing across the river Milky Way they would be allowed to be together. And for the rest of their days both Penlani and Tauros did exactly that. And when they died, Penlani became the star Vega while Tauros became Altair. And still to this day, on the seventh day of the seventh month Tauros and Penlani cross over the Milky Way for one day together." Daddy closed the book as he finished, "The end."_

I sighed, shivering back to reality. I knew that my memory of the story of Penlani and Tauros had been pulled out of my mind's memory archive because of the separation of Taylor and me. And not just because of this stupid feud between old, dead and gone, corporal tycoons! I wasn't sure if we weren't only seeing each other for a small while but not seeing or talking to him for a year? Is it too clichéd of me to rather _**die**_ than have that? It wasn't love at first sight but somehow I recognized (in a short time) Taylor had come integrated into my life. as if this was supposed to happen. But if that wasn't true then how could I make sure I did see him again?  
My mind drew a blank as my gaze returned to the shimmering of stars. _Maybe a wish upon a star would help_, I wondered.  
Softly I began to chant, _"Star light,_  
_star bright,_  
_First star_  
_I've seen tonight._  
_I wish I may,_  
_I wish I might,_  
_have the wish_  
_I wish tonight."_  
I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers before chanting it silently three times. Then I opened my eyes and exhaled, re-staring at the stars.  
"So? What'd you wish for?" Someone from behind asked.  
I turned to glance over my right shoulder and saw a figure in all black, hovering in the shadows of my balcony. "Ahhhhhh!" I screamed running for the doors.  
Someone grabbed me from behind and fingers covered my mouth and the intruder bent down to whisper in my ear. "Alexie, calm down, it's _me_."  
I stopped fighting. "Me _who_?" I demanded cautiously.  
The intruder spun me around and pulled off their black ski mask revealing a set of features that I knew better than my own now.  
"It's _me__**.**_" Taylor repeated, rolling his eyes.  
My smile lit up quickly replacing my fear as I glanced up at him under the moonlight. "Taylor, what are you doing here?" I cried, my heart beating rapidly. I couldn't tell if that was because he was here or because I'd been scared.  
"I told you I would see you again." He reminded me, his face serious.  
_He remembered!_ My heart swooned for the second time tonight.  
Then I glared at him. "And you just had to scare me, huh?" I snapped, backing away to the doors and crossing my arms over my chest.  
Taylor smirked at me, his hands in his pockets and his head at a slight angle. And I felt my heart leap in my chest as I took in all the laugh lines he had about his face. "No, Alexie," he began coming to tower over me. His voice low, deep and making my knees shake he whispered, "That was just a bonus."  
I wanted to be angry again but then he reached down and kissed me.  
Suddenly every thought in my mind at that moment was going in one ear and out the other and floating out with the night wind. I stood on my toes and pressed my body against his, wrapping my arms around his neck as my fingers were winding themselves in his hair. He picked me up with one arm and crushed me against him as his bottom lip moved in between my own. Impassioned, I bit down on his lip making him moan against me, the sound reverberating in his chest and against me. He pushed us backwards until my back was against the cool stone of the castle mansion. My fingers started on a trek downward, slipping up his shirt and exploring the bumps and burning hot ridges there. Gasping, he pulled away from me.  
Trying to hide my disappointment and relief, I tried to catch my breath and slow the rapid beating of my heart.  
"What the hell was that?" he demanded.  
My cheeks hot I pulled my fingers away from his skin. "Sorry, I'm cold," I apologized.  
"I wonder why?" He muttered. Tugging the bottom of my shirt back down before moving past me and inside, Taylor smirked. "Nice PJ's," he said over his shoulder.  
I glanced down at my grey oversized _SNOWED IN_ t-shirt and red snowflake booties I was wearing, wondering if he could tell I was only wearing underwear underneath. I blushed once I realized how obvious it really was before crossing my arms over my chest and going to close the balcony doors. "Um, thanks?"  
I turned around then went to sit cross-legged in the middle of my bed with a pillow in my lap. "How'd you get all the way up here, anyways?" I wanted to know, watching as he checked out my room.  
"I hopped the fence and used a tree to climb up the wall." Taylor answered checking out my wall of posters of Leonardo Di Caprio, Chicago, Hairspray and so on.  
"Wow," I grinned, thinking of the first Twilight movie I ever saw, (the first Dakota was in) New Moon, "very Jacob Black."  
Taylor turned around and grinned back, only for a different reason. "You have a poster of _Curious George_…" he glanced back at the poster before grinning back at me, "…the Movie?"  
"What?" I asked defensively. "It's a good movie. I _love_ that movie. Curious George is so cute and funny and everything bad always happens to Will Farrell. You can't help but feel bad for him."  
"Will Farrell's in this movie?" Taylor asked, skimming over the poster.  
I nodded as he started moving on to my bookshelf. "Yep. He plays the Man in the Yellow Hat. Even Drew Barrymore's in it as his love interest."  
Taylor starting laughing like crazy. "The monkeys?" He choked out.  
I rolled my eyes and chunked a pillow at him which he dodged. "No, _Taylor_. Of course not the monkey's. Isn't that against the law?"  
He shrugged as he ran his fingers over the spines of my Nicholas Sparks collection. "It happened on _Planet of the Apes_, right?"  
I thought about it then wrinkled my nose. "Ew, that's weird."  
"Alexie?" I heard someone yell and then there was a loud thundering that I instantly recognized as-  
My heart froze as did Taylor. "Is that-?" He began.  
Slowly I nodded, my eyes wide. "Footsteps."  
Taylor snatched his fingers from the row of books as if he'd just been scalded and swore. "Son of a-"  
"Lautner!" I lounged to jump on top of him so I could slap a hand over his mouth.  
"What?" He demanded pushing me off of him  
"That's not going to help!" I finished, even though that was only half of the reason. Glancing around the room, I tried to find a hiding spot for Taylor. I spotted my wardrobe doors and instantly grabbed Taylor's hand as I stood up and pulled him along. Rushing toward them I cried, "C'mon, in here!"  
I managed to pull the doors open and without question Taylor folded himself inside so that I could make sure he'd properly fit. He shut the door behind him and I started running back to the bed. I had just had time to leap onto my bed before the door opened.  
"Alexie, what's wrong?" Joe cried as he, and Demi burst through the doorway into my room.  
Keeping my eyes away from the wardrobe, I shot him a look of genuine confusion. "What are you talking about?"  
"We heard you scream and something break-we thought you were in trouble!" Dems explained.  
"Oh." I blinked. _Crud._

I glanced around the room and noticed a small rubber spider that Frankie tried to scare me with the other day laying on the floor by the balcony doors. "There's a spider!" I cried in a voice that sounded unconvincing to me.  
Joe pulled off his shoe and slowly made his way to the spider, eyeing the still spider with perfect concentration. Then with an instantaneous smack, he swooped down and smacked the spider with his shoe. Slowly he lifted the shoe, his face serious before he suddenly stood up, rolling his eyes as he came towards me with the spider in his hand.  
"Ew! Joe, get that away from me!" I cried scooting away from him.  
"It's fake, Princessa. Just another one of those rubber ones Frankie's been carting around since last Halloween." Joe exasperatedly snapped.  
I tried to make an opps face but it came out like a cross between a smile and a grimace. "I guess I'm so tired my eyes confused me for a moment."  
Joe sighed. "Teenage girls, I swear."  
I grinned and called after him, "Love you, Joey."  
He came back around and sheepishly smiled at me. "Love you too, Lex." Then he disappeared down the hall, leaving me behind with Dem.  
She smiled at me. "Hey, I know that your date had to leave early."  
My mouth dropped open. "How did you-"  
She shook her head. "Joe and Sel told me."  
I rolled my eyes. "Joe. Of course. I bet half the things wrong with the world right now, just using his name would explain them _all_!"  
She laughed at that.  
"Let me guess," I went on, "he celebrated at my expense."  
Somber now, Demi crossed the room and came to sit at the edge of my bed. "I never had a brother," she began quietly, "I just had my two younger sisters, my cousin and Selena, but I do understand Joe."  
I gazed at her curiously, "And what does that mean?  
She sighed, "it means that he's not laughing at your expense. I know your brother, he loves you. He would do anything for any of you..._but_ he doesn't want to see you hurt."  
"And he thinks Zac would hurt me?" I assumed. I shook my head, "But Zac is his _friend_. He wouldn't be friends with a guy like that-" I paused and bit my lip. "-at least I _hope_ not." I shook my head before saying, "You do understand we owe you, right?"  
With a laugh Demi spun around to face me, "You owe me? Whatever for?"  
My eyebrows raised as my mouth dropped. "What _for_?" Incredulously, I repeated. "Yo_u _were the one who was there when Joe stopped that investigation into-" I stumbled over my next words. "-into our parents death."  
Demi's smile began to fade as I went on. "_You_ were the one who brought him back to us after he started drinking." She was starting to shake her head so urgently I insistently pressed on. "Dems, you _saved_ him. And in doing so you saved us all-my entire _family_."  
"Not completely," Demi whispered glancing out the window almost to herself. Her eyes were gazed over with the look of the haunted.  
She meant his anger issues. I shook my head. "Everyone has their demons-including him. But that doesn't matter to me. Not as much as something else..." I hinted meaningfully.  
Demi turned around to face me, her back against the window, hands gripping the window sill. "Yes?"  
"You love him, don't you?" I pressed solemnly, watching her face.  
Demi's fingers gripped her wrist in one hand but her smile was illuminating "Yes," came her answer, short, sweet but not too artificial.  
I nodded, "Good. Then that's all that matters. Broken or not, you brought my brother back. And despite his many faults-you manage to love him. As far as I'm concerned all the lying you did all those years ago to integrate yourselves into our lives-I'll admit it broke Joey to lose you but-"  
"But?" Curiously, Demi repeated, gazing over at me.  
With a shrug I finished, "Well, you got that _witch___out of our lives for one thing!"  
She laughed. "Miley the Witch. And?"  
"Without you I can't even imagine where my brothers and I would be right now!" I shuddered at the thought. "So thank you."  
There was a quiet silence for a moment before Joe bellowed up the stairs, "_Dem_-_i_?" Almost in the way those people yell, _sue-y!_  
Demi shook her head. "I didn't even mean to stay this long. I just wanted you say how sorry I am that Zac had to leave early."  
My eyebrows rose at that. I hadn't expected that. I had all but forgotten that I'd arrived with Zac but (in my heart) left with Taylor.  
"But don't worry," went on Dems as she straightened up and headed towards the door. "Today was your debut into the Young Hollywood. You'll find someone in no time." Her lips tilted into a smile almost as if to add, _like I found Joe_.  
And so I couldn't resist. "Someone like Joe?" I teased her.  
Demi laughed and grinned over at me, "Maybe."  
I wanted to giggle right then and there at just how wrong and at the same time how _right_ she was. And deep down inside some part of me whispered, _Don't worry, I already have._ But I managed to keep a straight face as I nodded. "I guess you could be right, Dems," I told her trying to hide my chagrin.  
She shot me another warm smile before making her way to the doorway and flicking off the light. "Good bye," she called, closing the door after her.  
As soon as I heard the door click shut, I sat up, I turned to the door, counted to 90 before getting up and locking my door, leaning an iron board it for extra measures before hurrying to the my closet.  
He was leaning the wall with one arm raised in that cocky school-boy-who-defies-the-school-administration pose.  
I burst into laughter. "Smooth moves."  
"I know right," he answered his voice low as he reached down and raised my chin before bending down and pressed his lips to mine.  
Sighing in content, I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my body melt against him. He grabbed me mid-thigh and wrapped my legs around his waist. Making me accidentally bite his lip again, he groaned in pleasure as he held me up with one arm and threaded his fingers in my hair, beginning the unraveling of Gabby's plait. All the while he was kissing me with heat as he backed up until he hit the bed and fell backwards into the middle of it.  
I laughed and pulled away from him from a moment. "Whoa," I breathed. "That was impressive navigating, sailor."  
Looking aggravated that I'd pulled away, he grabbed me again. "C'mere, you," he growled and with a laugh, I set my lips against him. His hands started roaming; first he gripped my upper thighs and picked me up so that he could set me, straddling his waist, on the lower half of his torso. I pressed my body against him, my back arching in the air as I flattened myself against his chest. Then his hands starred roaming up my thighs and up my shirt, his skin sending electric currents all over my body.  
"Wait-" I said breathlessly, pulling away. "Taylor, we can't do this."  
"You sure?" He murmured, his voice at my throat as he kissed along my jawline, my collarbone and down to-  
Fighting back my urge to melt and give into him I climbed out of his lap.

Trying to catch his breath, he sat up slightly. "You're right," he agreed, though I could hear the disappointment and something else that was close but _wasn't_ anger, in his voice.  
"I mean, we don't even know each other," I continued, trying to fix my shirt. "I don't know your favorite color-"  
"-Baby blue, baby!" he interrupted with a recovering grin, his hands on my thighs.  
My stomach flipped nervously as I continued, "-or your favorite movie-"  
"-Accepted," he went on, pulling me closer to him.  
I shivered against his touch as I struggled to focus. "And-and-and what religion you were raised as-"  
Taylor grinned, "Roman Catholic. See? I got your answers right here." He tapped his temple with a smirk.  
I sighed. "I don't even know if you like McDonald's or not and that is a major deal breaker with me!" Taylor threw his head back and laughed but I shook my head. "You think I'm joking but I'm so not."  
"This is really important to you?" Taylor wanted to know, his expression becoming more serious.  
I looked down at the end of my braid and slowly nodded. "Yeah," I responded my voice low.  
"Okay, then meet me tomorrow," he decided, keeping his arms locked around my waist, his fingertips lightly brushing against my skin and making me shiver.  
"Are you serious?" I cried dropping my hair and staring at him, my eyes wide.  
He nodded. "You made a valid point; we don't know each other," Taylor pointed out. "And it's kind of necessary that we do."  
My eyebrows knit together in confusion about his remark about how important it was that we did get to know each other. "But what about…" I paused and tried to shot him a meaningful look. At his inquiring gaze I clarified. "…the whole issue of you being a Teague and my being a Lett?"  
He paused for a moment. "Alexie," he finally began, gazing down at me, "you said it yourself that there's obviously something between us and I–for one–would like to know what it is."  
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Us?" I asked meekly, pushing a few stray strands of hair out of my eyes.  
"Yes; us." He said quickly moving on, much to my disappointment to find out just what "us" was or entailed.  
I shook myself back to reality. "But still, even if we tried, if people saw us together-it wouldn't end well. I'm sure you're...well known and I am, only slightly due to my brothers. And after what happened at Italiana earlier, this would be the wrong time to test out tensions between our two…" I paused wondering how to describe them. The Teagues and Letts weren't necessarily our families. Maybe more like- "…companies." I finished.  
He nodded as I spoke. "If I found a way for us to be together without giving the entire town a culinary, what would you say?"  
"I'd say yes," I answered immediately. There was no question about it. "Of course."  
Taylor nodded. "Then it's done." He answered.  
"Done?" I cried.  
"Yes, baby. Done." He reached up and gently pushed my head forward so he could kiss me again.  
Pulling away I blinked down at him doubtfully. "That fast?"  
Sighing, Taylor nodded. "Yes. It's a long story and I have to go." He wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. "Unless I stayed the night…" he hinted.  
_And send my parents rolling around in their graves?_ I sighed. "You probably shouldn't." I had broken so many rules tonight from my parents, Brendan and Kevin's Rulebooks alike. I probably shouldn't break anymore. Or put myself in the way of temptation. This boy had a habit of getting me to say yes to things I would've usually said no to.  
Taylor nodded as if he'd been expecting that to be my answer. "Then I'll tell you everything tomorrow."  
I sighed. "Okay."  
He stood up and I slipped off the bed. He reached out and grabbed my hand, and hand and hand we walked back outside to the balcony. Once we reached the railing we turned to face each other. And the moment I looked up into his face I felt like I couldn't breathe as my chest tightened. My old fear had returned; I wasn't sure if I'd see him again.  
His eyebrows came together and he cupped my face in one of his hands. "What's wrong?"  
My eyesight blurring, I shook my head, not entirely sure myself. "It's nothing." I answered forcing a smile.  
"Good. So I'll see you tomorrow," Taylor smiled before bending down and kissing me. "…baby." He added as he pulled away with a smirk.  
My stomach lurched at my newly dubbed nickname and I smiled softly up at him. "Tomorrow," I repeated firmly.  
He let go of my hand as he went to the edge of the balcony, swinging both legs over the side.  
_Tomorrow_, I repeated with a slight smile as I watched him disappear over the railing and into the night.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**:

_The boy between six-and-ten or eight-and-ten summers was before her, on his knees. Juliet couldn't tear her eyes from him. From his eyes-a startling green or the dark, halo of hair about his head, she couldn't look away from this dark angel._  
_Managing not to break her gaze he took Juliet's hand. "Your hand is like a holy place my hands are unworthy to visit." He eyed her as he continued with a slight smirk, "If you are offended by the touch of my hand, my two lips are here like two blushing pilgrims..."_  
_Shyly, Juliet returned her eyes to look directly at him through her eyelashes._  
_"...ready to make things better..." his smile was mischievous but trusting as he pressed his burning lips to the skin of her wrist. "...with a kiss."_  
_"Good pilgrim," she began softly continuing with the flirtation. "You don't give your hand enough credit. Just by holding my hand you show polite devotion."_  
_He smiled up at her._  
_"After all," Juliet went on, "pilgrims touch with their hands the statues of saints." She flattened her palm against his and he mimicked her movement until their fingers were delicately laced together. "Holding one's palm against another is like a kiss."_  
_Puzzled he stood up, managing not to break their hands embrace. "Don't saints and pilgrims have lips too?"_  
_"Yes, pilgrim, they have lips. That they're supposed to __**pray**__ with." Juliet contended, feeling disappoint in her stomach, sure this was the line that would end this flirtation._  
_"Then, saint, let lips do what hands do," he motioned towards their interlaced fingers. "For I am praying for you to kiss me." He gazed down at her, letting his longing and need give color to his words. "Please grant my prayer so my faith doesn't turn to despair."_  
_Her cheeks instant began to flame a fiery red as she tried to keep up the charade. "Saints don't move," she answered her breath in a whisper. "Even when they grant prayers."_  
_Taking her into his arms, with one hand holding her to his chest by her waist, he murmured back, "Then don't move while I act out my prayer." He took her face in his other hand, bent down and gently kissed Juliet._  
_Juliet's heart froze as he continued to kiss her deeply, pressing her to him, his hand passionately cradling her face in his hand. In all of her three-and-ten summers, never had she felt her lips tingle from such contact._  
_Finally he pulled away._  
_"No!" Juliet cried, snapping out of her reprieve. She didn't want it to be over yet._  
_He grinned eager to keep up the charade too. "Now my sin has been taken from my lips to yours," His eyes widened in feigned outrage. "Sin from my lips?" He shook his head. "You encourage crime with your innocence." He brought her back to him. "Give me my sin back," he commanded his voice rough before he bent down to kiss her again._  
_And this time Juliet responded; wrapping both her arms around his neck and standing on her toes as both his hands twined her waist. The contact between them grew impassioned as her body melted into his, hurting from how hard she was pressing herself to him. Juliet's long slender fingers reached up the back of his neck and began to twine them in his luscious hair, black of the night._  
_This time, however, when they pulled away from each other, Juliet's smile was so dazzling it could've rivaled the light of the stars. "You kiss by the book-like you have __**studied**__ how," she whispered, her hands sliding down against his chest._  
_He smiled and had just resumed his lips "prayer" when someone began to call for her. "Madam_..."

I sat up in my bed, my lips tingling something awful. I was almost surprised to be found alone. My lips were so bad I almost wondered if the kiss ending my dream was real.  
I struggled to remember what had happened but it was already gone, only thin, shimmering threads of memory floated near, teasing me as they danced and darted out of my grasp.  
"Ugh-a-ma!" I groaned as I climbed out of bed. I hated this feeling. I hoped I never got amnesia otherwise I'd go insane.  
It was only after remembering the night before with Taylor that I floated downstairs for breakfast.  
"_Ohhh, what a beautiful morning. _  
_Ohhh, what a beautiful day. _  
_I've got a beautiful feeling_  
_Everything's going my way_." I sang happily as I pulled out a box of cherry Toaster Studel out of the freezer.  
"Well, _someone's_ in a good mood today." Brendan remarked from the doorway before he made his way over to me.  
I smiled at him over my shoulder before going to throw a casual arm on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "Good morning, Godfather." I said cheerfully, tossing a cherry strudel into the toaster.  
He eyed me suspiciously. "Why so exuberant, princessa?"  
I turned around to face him, my back against the counter. "I just wanted to say thank you so much for the party."  
Brendan raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He asked sounding surprised for reasons I couldn't dis-turn.  
Solemnly yet (as he said) exuberant, I nodded, gathering my hair into a messy bun on the top of my head. "Yes. It was one of the best nights of my life." Not that I can tell him exactly why.  
Satisfied Brendan nodded as he moved about the kitchen to make a cup of coffee using the Kerger. "That's good because that party cost a hell of a lot-  
"Godfather," I admonished, shaking my head at him. Mamma and Daddy didn't approve of using cuss words to express displeasure or to emphasize a point.  
"My house, my rules," he counter-argued before continuing, "-a lot of money to create and make happen. However, after last night I got to thinking."  
The toaster beeped and I grabbed a pair of tongs to pull out my strudel and set it on my plate without burning my fingers. "Yes?..."  
"I was thinking that for my birthday I might throw a party too." I was nodding along to this until he added, "Only instead, my party will be princess themed."  
My mouth dropped open before I started laughing. "_Princess_ themed?" I splattered, squeezing icing on the top of the Toaster Strudel.  
Brendan nodded. "Go big or go home, right?"  
I couldn't hide my grin. "Sure...I guess so."  
"And there will be red and pink roses everywhere for decoration. And there will be tea parties with those little sandwiches-"  
"Okay, okay I get the point!" I laughed as I took a bite.  
Brendan shot me a exaggerating smiley face "But I haven't even reached the best part yet."  
_Oh, God_, I bemusedly glanced over at him. "And that would be?"  
Brendan grabbed my hand and twirled me around the kitchen. "There will be dancing."  
We were still dancing when someone grabbed me by the hand. "Nick!" I grinningly protested once I saw it was him. "Wha-"  
"Have you seen the news?" He demanded his face dark with something unreadable.  
Brendan glanced over at me and I shook my head before Brendan answered, "No...why? What's wrong?"  
Nick just shook his head. "C'mon."  
He led us to the living room where the TV was on mute but the screen showed it all. Something was burning. The whole screen was covered with an aerial view of downtown Los Angeles which was being decimated by deadly fire. The flames were dark red and orange, billowing out and breathing out this horrendous smoke the color of fresh charcoal.  
A hand flew to cover my mouth as I sat down, trembling. "Oh God..."  
"And this is the same place-" Brendan began.  
Solemnly, Nick nodded. "Yes."  
Looking ill, Brendan stood up and hurried out of the room as Frankie entered, followed by Joe.  
"Did you guys see the fire?" He wanted to know.  
"Yes, Tank." I nodded as he came to sit next to me.  
Nick eyed Joe warily recognizing he was in a foul mood from his brooding expression and the dark cloud around him. "You look like you have something to say." commented Nick.  
Joe shook his head. "No, actually. Nothing new anyway." He turned away but not before muttering, "Damn, fuckin-"  
I stood up. "Joe, seriously? You're going to pull that now?"  
Joe's scathing laughter mocked me before he snapped, "You don't know the whole story, princess." He turned and went stomping through the doors leading to the backyard.  
I got up and ran after him barefoot, before I finally managed to grasp the fabric of his shirt. "What's been with you lately?" I cried.  
Joe whirled around so suddenly, a cool, sharp wind whipped through the air. "Someone _died_ in that fire, Alexie."  
I stumbled back half a step. "What?" I breathed.  
"Yeah, that's right. Someone _died_. And not some random person either but someone we actually knew." Joe went on.  
"Who?"  
"Leigha." He stonily answered.  
"Leigha?" I cried.  
"Wait, Demi's cousin Leigha." Nick interjected.  
"Yes." snapped Joe. "So don't you dare tell me to give those Teabags the benefit of the doubt when my girlfriend is in _mourning_."  
"You don't even know for sure that it was them! I shot back. "None of us do!"  
"Oh yeah? You want to say that to Demi's face, _princess_?" He responded, his words a stinging slap in the face.  
I shut my mouth and found myself looking away against my will.  
Looking unsurprised, Joe nodded. "That's what I thought."  
"Just because you're older doesn't mean you know everything!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "I probably know more about Teagues then you do."  
He scoffed. "And how's that?"  
"Because I've actually _talked_ to one!" I shouted before I could stop myself.  
In half a second, he was in front of me, my arm painfully twisted in his grip as his eyes fixated on me. "You stay away from them, you hear?"  
Frankie ran over to him. "Joe!"  
Nick followed, trying to get him to let me go. "Joe,  
stop it!  
"I'm not playing this time, Alexie." He ignored them. "You stay away from them. They only bring pain and destruction." His eyes went unseeing and almost to himself whispered, "We should know."  
Managing to get my arm out of his grip, I let Nick safely pull me to his side as he glared at our brother. "What are you talking about?"  
Joe snapped back to reality, but his expression was suddenly animated, his eyes on fire as he hissed. "They're the ones who destroyed this family."  
He could _not_ be serious. "Is that what you believe?" I demanded. I turned to look at the others. "Is that what _all _of you believe? That because we're supposed to hate them, they're the devil?" No one said anything and in the silence my voice broke. "Mamma taught us to believe in the best of people—_all_ people."  
"But she isn't here now," Joe coldly spat. "Is she?"  
I didn't even see Nick's fist until after it had smashed into Joe's jaw.  
"Nick!" I cried before I ran and jumped on his back, holding him back as he struggled against me.  
"Are you serious, Nick?" Joe spat blood out on the grass. His eyes never wavered from Nick's face which remained ice. "You're going to punch your own _brother_ over them? You're going to hurt me over those fuckin' _Teagues_?" He glared at Nick stonily for a long moment before slowly and deliberately hissing, "_Nice to see where your loyalty lies._"  
Nick stared back at him but he didn't move or say one word.  
Joe just shook his head. "I'm out," he said turning back towards the doors.  
"Where are you going?" Frankie asked frantically, rushing to him.  
"Over to Demi's," he snapped glaring at Nick and I both in turn. "_She_ needs me." And then he was gone.  
We stood there in silent before Nick rubbed his reddening hand. "Ow."  
**I'll get you some ice**, I quietly muttered to him.  
I had just came back outside, as Frankie disappeared, when suddenly with the weight of the world on his back, Nick sank down into a lounge chair. **Maybe**, he began with a shake of his head. **Maybe he's right**.  
I almost dropped the ice pack. **What?**  
**Maybe he's right**. He repeated thoughtfully to himself more than to me. **Could it be that they all are right and we've fooled ourselves long enough? Maybe its time that we were completely loyal to what we're supposed to be.**  
**You mean taking sides, don't you?** Sharply, I demanded. I wasn't even expecting him to deny it but I was _praying_ for him to.  
He didn't say anything. He wasn't even trying to deny it.  
**You're trying to become one of them-a Teague hater**!  
He still didn't say anything.  
I rushed to his side and grabbed his uninjured hand. **Nick, you can't do this! It's not ****_right_****!**!  
**I'm not sure what is anymore**, he finally responded glancing up to look up at me. **But I can't let this continue to contribute to our family's destruction any more than it already has**.

**So you're saying that you don't think there's a **_sliver_** of anything good in them worth saving?** I cried.

**No, Alexie, **he somberly said getting up and walking towards the doors. **I'm starting not to.**

What happened to us? I wondered as I sank into the chair. We never used to be like this. Joe never used to be this angry and intolerant person. And Nick certainly never thought anything was completely terrible about anyone.

But I knew what had changed them. It was the thing that had changed us all.

_Death_.

"Hey." He said out loud.

I turned around to look at him, hoping my dejection didn't show. "Yeah?"

"You and me," he began.

I smiled slightly. "Stick like glue,"

"Just like Fred and Ginger do," we finished together, smiling at each other.

**No matter what Twin, I got your back, okay**? Nick went on.

I nodded but the different directions all of our lives were taking us made me unsure of how long _any_ of us would be able to keep this promise.

Pulling out my phone, I hurried upstairs for my bedroom. I let the door slam behind me as I darted into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. My fingers were dancing down my contact list until I found Taylor's number. I pressed the call button before sitting down on my wicker box for magazines.

The phone rang for a couple minutes before he answered. "Hello?"

I couldn't help it. The moment I heard his voice, I sat up and I couldn't stop my grin from growing. "Taylor?"

"Yeah..." he pointedly replied.

"It's me," I went on, swinging my legs back and forth.

"Oh. What's up?"

And now I had to get back to the purpose of this call. My stomach twisted and my smile diminished. "Have you seen the news today?" I asked, biting my lip and twisting the bottom of my shirt in my hand.

I could hear some shuffling before a door closed. "No...why? Were we-"

At that I shook my head. I hadn't even thought of that. "No, it's not that." I paused. "This may actually be worse."

"What the hel-"

"Taylor!" I cried warningly

Frustrated, Taylor sighed. "Just tell me, Alexie."

I got up and stood in front of the mirror, my hands on my counter. Sighing I said, "You know how there was that huge Lett versus Teague fight yesterday?"

"At Italiana?" He questioned.

I nodded. "Yes."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, it reached the tipping point..."

I could hear his confusion plain in his voice as I heard something in the background that sounded like a soda opening. "What do you mean?"

"Sometime last night someone they-they burned the whole place down." I hurriedly finished.

Something dropped and Taylor swore. "What?"

"And-" I began only he interrupted me.

"There's _more_?"

"Yes. Because someone, well...they died."

He swore again. "That sucks as-"

"Taylor!"

"Sorry. That sucks as-_butt_." He amended with a smirk in his voice. "But what does this have to do with anything?"

"Don't you understand?" I cried. "This is going to drive the animosity levels of the city sky high. The Letts are blaming the Teagues. Who, in turn are claiming we set the fire in order to frame them. Already there's been two Teagues versus Letts fights on 34th street."

"The street dividing Monroe and Callan?" Taylor wanted to know.

I nodded before I remembered he couldn't see me. "Yes, and right now the last thing anyone in L.A. would be is tolerant of the two of us together."

Taylor chuckled and shook his head. "So that's why you called," understandably he said.

"Yes-" I started only then he interrupted me.

"-to call today off." Taylor finished darkly.

I dropped the phone in the sink. "Wait-what?" Scrambling for it but unable to grasp it with my nails, I used my palms to guide it back to my ear. "No! That's not it at all."

"Enlighten me then," he shot back in that stupid cocky voice of his I hate.

"I'm just checking to see if you're still in." I tried to explain.

"I've never been out, Alexie. And I haven't been the one questioning things every step of the way." I heard a loud voice in the background and Taylor's muffled response. "Look, I have to get back to set. Are we still on for later or what?"

I sighed and crossed my eyes as I sat back down. "Yes, Taylor."

"Good. Then I'll pick you up at ten by the spot."

I smiled. "Oookayy."

He chuckled and lowered his voice before adding, "Bye, baby."

My smile brightened, and my stomach flipped. "Goodbye."

After getting dressed, I headed downstairs when I saw that Joe was standing in the foyer looking out the window. At first I was about to slip back upstairs or quietly into the kitchen but I knew I couldn't hide from him, from this forever. So instead I walked up to him and quietly stood next to him looking out the window. "I'm sorry… for earlier." I began meaning to stop there but I couldn't help adding, "But you can't really mean that."

He didn't turn to look at me as he responded. "Mean what?"

I swallowed hard, "Everything you said about Teagues and-"

Joe shook his head. "Yes, I do. The truth is we only have each other left. You, me, Nick, Frankie and Kevin. That's it."

"But what about Demi, Joey?" I protested. "And Selena, Bliss, Brendan and everyone else here?"

"Just us, that's it," he repeated sharply , his expression stone cold. "You don't get it, Alexie. What happened, everything's changed. Despite the mayors efforts any progress between us and the Teagues has backfired."

"Okay," I shrugged, "so we'll build it back up."

"Someone died, Alexie!" He exploded again. I jumped and he lowered his voice before he repeated himself. "Someone died. And there's nothing anyone can do to take that back."

Leaning away from him, my eyes wide, I cautiously asked, "And so?"

"It changes everything. Anything bad between the Teagues and us..." he paused and looked out across the sea. "Well, it's about to get a lot worse."


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE:**

I was pacing in the warm sand of Wylow beach, my stomach lurched over and over as I paced. The green palm fronds of a palm tree were shading me as I paced, the sand oozing in the cracks of my wedges. _He's coming_. I thought as I gently yanked off the silky petal of the blue tulip I was holding.

_He's coming not._

_He's coming._

_He's coming not._

_He's coming..._

Lurching once more, I glanced down at the last petal on the flower. _He's coming...not. _Sadly, I pulled off the last petal and watched as it slowly fluttered down to the ground on the back of the wind. Sighing, I checked my phone. I had no missed calls, no new text messages (from him anyway) and he was half of an hour late. I shook my head.

_I told him. I said, Taylor, this is too crazy and it's too soon. Especially with what happened to Leigha._ I swallowed hard remembering the inner conflict that had boar its ugly head with my brothers this morning. I shook my head. _Lex, don't think about that!_ I commanded.

"Alexie." he said from behind me.

Instantly, I dropped the stem and spun around. There he was standing behind me, near the water in a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Involuntarily, my lips tipped up into a smile. "You came." I sighed as my heart swooned. I didn't even realize what I was doing until I was already running to him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissed him. Which managed to knock both of us down and into the water in the process.

_Oh, crap!_ Blushing, I pulled away wondering how we had managed to land in the exact position we were last night after all I did to make sure that it wouldn't exactly happen again. "Sorry." I blushed as a wave of water slammed into us. "That was uncalled for."

Grinning, he grabbed me by the waist and rolled us over so that he was on top. "Don't worry, Alexie," smirked Taylor. "I don't mind."

My cheeks burned, especially when he bent down and kissed me again, turning my legs to puddles of mush but quickly I pulled away and shook my head. "We should go someplace less..." I paused and tried to think of the right way to phrase it. "...exposed."

Groaning, Taylor got up before he stopped and scrutinized my drenched clothing sticking to my body with a look on his face that said he wanted to eat me alive. I turned red again and held out my hand so that he could help me up.

"You're right," he agreed as he pulled me up. "Let's move."

After he helped me up, he started moving down the beach, shaking his head as he tried to get the water off himself. "Tell me about yourself."

"Ummm, okay." Pausing, I tried to think. "Well, I turned 17 last night." I rolled my eyes and corrected myself. "Or as Nick says, at 3:32 P.M. Eastern Time. What about you?"

"I'm 21," he answered.

My eyes widened slightly. "Oh, wow." I muttered. He was at least four years older than me. Grinning, I remembered something Nick's ex-girlfriend back in New Jersey once said.

"What's so funny?" Taylor wanted to know, sounding genuinely interested.

I shrugged. "I don't know. My friend once said that any guy who knowing dates younger girls, does so because he can't get anyone his own age to look at him."

Taylor threw his head back and roared with laughter. "I don't think that concept applies here in our world." He smirked.

I nodded, because he was right. How else would you be able to justify Leonardo DeCaprio dating Blake Lively when she was around ten years old when he was in Titanic? I sighed wistfully; _talk about lucky._

"What else?" I questioned out loud. "Umm, I'm model-"

"A model?" he demanded loudly, stopping and blocking my path with one eyebrow raised as he eyed me up and down.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. "Oh, Taylor, don't be a cliché. Not that kind of model! Why is that that all guys react like that when a girl says that they're a model?"

Smirking, he winked at me. "It's a fantasy."

_Oh my God..._

I turned red and hurriedly, I pushed forward. "Umm, anyway, I'm a junior at the Galaxy School."

Narrowing his eyes and with a clench of his jaw, he responded. "Ah, yes...the Galaxy school."

I eyed him out of the corner of my eye as he walked. "And by your reaction I'm going to just assume that you went to the Starlight school?"

Taylor nodded. "Went and graduated five years ago."

Biting my lip, I nodded awkwardly. "Well, that's umm...nice?" My eyes darted around the beach perimeter as I checked for looker-ons. Wylow beach was a hidden stretch of sand hidden in the inner silo of celebrity Hollywood. Not to mention it was a well-hid secret for those who wanted to go to the beach without having to deal with the hassle of body guards, fans and the paps.

All the sudden my phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my still dripping pocket (thank GOD its waterproof) and checked it.

**From: Kevi-Kev**

**REMAINDER:**

**We have a Family Luncheon in 30 minutes.**

My eyes widened. "Crud!"

**Twin, tell me we don't have a FLD today**

**Yeah...** Slowly, he answered as if I was dumb.

Crud in deed.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN:**

Back when our parents were still alive, our father required us to have family dinners together once every two weeks. Since we were so busy with all of us kids in Little League Baseball plus school, extracurricular, Mamma and Daddy's jobs, we hardly ate at the same time. So once every bi-weekly we made a family meal together and ate it together. It was actually kind of fun. Sometimes we learned new things, like how to make our own homemade tortillas, chicken fried rice or jumbalya.  
A few weeks after our parents passed, Kevin started re-enforcing them. If anything they were one of the main contending forces that kept us tied together instead of spiraling apart in our grief. The only time we didn't have them was if we were out of town or something like when the guys went on a tour/recording or I went to a photo shoot/working a fashion show or something.  
**And be on time,** Nick added. **You know he has Dad's speech on being "on time and punctual" memorized and I'm not in the mood to hear it today.**  
I smiled. **The guy who wants to be president doesn't like speeches? Your candidacy could be up to par with Bill Clinton's.**  
A small wave of exasperation nudged me and I realized it was his. **I don't like repeated speeches, Twin. And that sentence made no sense. Just be on time.**  
Sighing, I turned to Taylor. (Nick and I's conversation had only taken a few seconds) "I have to go," I reluctantly told him.  
His dark brown eyes widened in surprise. "What?"  
I nodded. "I have a thing with my family."  
"So miss it..." he shrugged.  
"What?" I hissed sharply, turning to glare at him before I realized what I was doing. But he didn't even notice.  
"Stay." He enticed, his voice thick, deepened and...something foreign, something dangerous and scary. Something..._sexy._  
All my tension at his impossible, _unthinkable_ request melted from my body and slipped to the sand before seeping into the ground.  
Taylor kept his arms tightly about my waist and he traced slow, delicate, kisses up the skin of my neck. I shivered and melted, drawing me even closer to him. His lips made their way up my jawline, my cheek... Taylor pulled back for a moment and stared down into my eyes before he bent down, going in for the kill. My legs trembled and I gripped his arms so he could be my strength as my eyes closed and my lips waited.  
He came closer, so close I could feel his warm breath against my skin and I froze. Taylor leaned forward. And then— "Just say the magic word..." he whispered, his lips suddenly at my ear.  
I pulled back and gazed up at him a little annoyed. "You are such a tease." His lips tilted upward slightly but he remained silent. "Ugh," I groaned, wanting what he was withholding. I sighed. Because I couldn't meet his terms. "I can't. I really have to go." I dropped my arms from about him and took a step back, my hands going sink into my back pockets before I realized I didn't have them.  
I looked up at Taylor to say goodbye when it hit me again. His tight six pack, his bronze, Teddy Graham tan, his heavily toned arms—all of him in his full glory. I bit my lip as I gazed at him, wanting him— _needing_ him. Which was when I tackled him, pushing his body down into the sand, and my body along with it.  
"You have just five more minutes," I told him, trying to sound stern.  
To which he chuckled and rolled over so that he was on top of me.  
And he was kissing me.

"Am I the last one?" I asked breathlessly, rushing into Kevin's penthouse, almost 45 minutes later.  
Biting into a sweet roll which was glistening from a honey butter bath, Frankie answered in a matter-of-fact way, "Duh."  
"Dude, when are you _not_ late?" Joe responded with a roll of his own eyes.  
I glared at him as I tossed my stuff in the corner. "Like you, of _all_ people should be talking." I shot back as I pulled off my jacket and hung it up. "You're the king of being late. Plus, **_Nick_** is the twin who has everything scribbled down on a calendar."  
"And you would think that'd be a good thing," Nick commented as he looked up from the kitchen island where he was slicing pepperoni.  
"No!" Joe cried in outrage. "I throw down my…" Usually at this point he had a napkin but since he didn't now, he had to make do. "…lettuce!" Then, with a flourish he grabbed a handful of iceberg lettuce and did just that.  
I eyed him, with "umm...okay" look. "Not necessarily." I answered as I ruffled Frankie's hair to tease him. He crossed his eyes at me and made a strange face which made me laugh. "People like Joe and myself—"  
"—People with no responsibility." Nick loudly mock-coughed into his fist.  
I shot him a withering glance before continuing "—live on the _wilder_ side of things."  
Joe started laughing at that.  
"What?" I demanded, wondering how _that_ could possibly make someone nearly blue in the face with laughter.  
"You might not be equal with Nick's stick-up-the-butt attitude but you aren't far behind him when it comes to following rules."  
"And doing homework as soon as you get it." Frankie added as he channel surfed from his barstool in front of Joe's chopping station.  
Joe nearly choked on his laughter at the thought of homework. (I wasn't exactly sure what was so funny about this either). "I'm almost surprised you didn't start with the Big Four when you walked in.  
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I did the Big Four. I wouldn't forget something that irks Kev so much."  
Joe smirked as he pointed down at my feet and I realized for the first time I hadn't immediately started with the obvious.  
The Big Four was Kevin's name for the rules for upon entering the penthouse.  
(1) Wipe your feet.  
(2) Remove your shoes.  
(3) Wash your hands  
And #4, which was...which was... I turned to the guys from the sink where I was drying my hand with a paper towel. "Guys, what's number four?" I asked.  
Instantly they all sighed.  
"Phone," Nick reminded me, pointing at the large black wooden bowl with Joe's Sidekick, Nick's Blackberry and Frankie's iPhone 4S in it. I sighed and threw away the towel before I pulled out my phone. I put it on silent before locking it. The last thing I needed right now is for one of them to see a text or a call from Taylor or "Sensi Awesome" (that's what he programmed his name to be) and realize what was going on.  
My talk with Nick then with Joe about the feud this morning made me realize that they would never accept this—Taylor and I...trying things out.  
In the past year Joe's hate for Teagues has escalated with a passion for reasons I never understood; Kevin would stay loyal to our employers because it was the _professional_ thing to do; and now it seemed, so would Nick but rather to save our family. And with Frankie...well, kids seemed to adopt the beliefs of their guardians so he'd either hate Teagues or remain ignorant and indifferent.  
"Princessa?"  
I jumped a little, slamming forward and hitting my ribs on the counter. Rubbing at where I was been hurt, I glanced up at the speaker, Joe. "Yeah?"  
"Are you having, like, phone withdrawal issues? You've been standing over that bowl for half an hour!" He started cracking up. "You don't need us to send you to phone rehab, do you? Because we will!"  
Nick sighed, getting ready to go through his daily grammar-and-logic-check with Joe. "Joe, there's no such thing as phone withdrawal or phone rehab."  
Waving a spoon at him Joe replied, "Hey, if they can have—" he eyed Frankie for a moment before loudly spelling, "S-E-**_X_** rehab, they can have _phone_ rehab." Crudely, he smirked. "And you can take that to the bank!'  
Nick buried his head in his hands while a perplexed looking Frankie stirred the sauce. "You do realize I can spell, don't you?" He asked.  
I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, Tank. They used to treat me the same exact way, even Nick." I glared at him. "And we're the same age!"  
Frankie nodded. "Well, you don't need to spell it, Joe." Knowingly he added, "I know all about sex."  
We all stopped what we were doing and turned to look at him. "You do?" I managed to choke out.  
He nodded. "Yeah. Galaxy has a sex-Ed class."  
"They do?" Joe and Nick both cried, staring over at me, since I was the only other one who goes there.  
Shaking my head I whispered, "I've never heard of it before but I wasn't in their middle school division longer than a few weeks. And that's usually around the time they do classes like those."  
Nick turned back to Frankie. Gently he asked, "Tank, who gave you their consent to take the class?"  
"Brendan or Kevin." He shrugged, turning to look it by each of us. "They talked about it together."  
We all exchanged a look, wondering why none of us had been let in on this…secret.  
"So, um," Nick loudly cleared his throat as he tugged on his shirt collar. "Wha—what exactly do you know?"  
"They call it the birds and the bees." Frankie shrugged. "Cause bees fertilize flowers which is what guys do and the birds have babies, like girls."  
I nodded trying not to melt from the awkward awareness there suddenly was in the room. I mean, having a sex talk with Frankie might actually lead to the guys trying to give me one! Joe (obviously), Nick and Kevin alike love treating me a two year old. And the timing, seeing how things were at the beach with Taylor was impeccable. "And—and—what did you think about all that?"  
"It's disgusting!" Frankie exploded, his face filled with horrified disgust. "Why would anyone want to put their pen-"  
"OKAY!" Joe shouted, his hands racing to slap over his ears as he cringed. "Enough!" He practically ran back to his chopping board, not making eye-contact with any of us which we were all echoing. "Alexie, just get over here and help some instead of leaving us to do all the work."  
There was moment of silence. Then-  
"What work? Joe, you're not even doing anything." Nick demanded.  
"I'm supervising!" Joe protested. "And I'm making a salad."  
Laughing, I shook my head. This was my crazy family. I loved them but I had to admit it, they were crazy.  
Later, I would remember this day for two reasons. Because this picture of my family would be as closest to the happiest my family would be...for a while.

I woke up to Nick dragging me out of my bed and into the hallway. **Niccccckkkkkkk,** I groaned as his fingers tightened around my arm, cutting off my circulation. **What are you doing?**

_Why is it that everyone has insisted on waking me up early the morning? Is this a part of being 17? Because if so I'll gladly downgrade to being 16 again. I need my sleep._  
**We have to find Joe,** he snapped with a clench of his jaw.  
_Joe?_  
**Nic-**I began but he didn't even stop. I grabbed him by the arm as we ran down the stairs of the beach castle and turned him towards me. **Nick! I don't understand. What's wrong?**  
**We-they-everything.** He shook his head, **we were all wrong.**  
I shook my head, my fingers rubbing at my throbbing temples. **Nick, what are you talking about?**  
**Leigha's not the one who died in that fire!** He revealed, as he grabbed me by the arm and propelling us forward and down the hallway again.  
My mouth dropped open "What?" I cried out loud as he pushed me forward.  
Still calculating how things and **where** things went wrong Nick thought, **I assume it was because they look so alike and when she had all Lei's things in her car-they just-they assumed...**.  
My breath caught as I grabbed him again. **Assumed? Assumed what****_,_**** Nick?**  
**They assumed that she was Leigha but it wasn't-it wasn't her.** He snapped absentmindedly, coping in the way it seemed he always did; by trying to figure out where exactly things went wrong.  
"Then who was it?" I shouted frustrated.

_Who did Leigha resemble so much with her peaches and cream complexion? _

_Leigha with her dark chocolate curls_...

My eyesight began to blur and I gasped. "No," I choked, as a burning pain shooting from the bottom of my stomach clenched my heart.

His eyes suddenly regained their focus on me and my brother nodded once. "Yes." He said. "It was _Demi_."


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN:**

_"Teenage recording artist and former Disney Channel star, Demi Lovato has been identified and confirmed as the young woman who died in Saturday evening's downtown Los Angeles fire. The fire is suspected to be arson and considered to be related to a conflict Saturday afternoon at the place in question, a restaurant called Italiana..."  
_  
Quietly, I raised the remote and shut off the TV before turning to my brothers.  
I tried not to think about how the media was wrong about the person who died.  
I tried not to think about how no one knew where Joe was.  
I tried not to think of all of it.  
"Should we call in and say Frankie and I aren't coming to school?" was what I said instead.  
We all looked toward Kevin.  
Trembling, he ran a hand through his curls, his eyes rimmed with sleep as he nearly chugged down a cup a coffee. Coming up for air, he sucked in a choking breath before he shook his head. "No. I don't want Frankie to see Joe like this." He didn't have to explain for the rest of us to understand what he meant.  
"Take him with you and keep him as close to you as much as possible. Make sure both of you have your phones and your back up batteries with you. And remind him of the emergency plan." Kevin rubbed his five o'clock shadow as he tried to think. "Keep both of your phones on. I don't think Galaxy's administration will haggle you much today because she was one of us."  
_Us?_ I wanted to cry. _As in us versus them?_  
But I knew now was the wrong time to bring up that conflict once more. It was the last thing any of us needed to remind of, another splitting branch in the dying tree of our family. The fight yesterday and now this-Demi's _death _.  
And then I thought of something else he'd said: **_was_**.  
As in Demi **was** one of us but no longer...because she was dead.  
Stinging tears sprung to my eyes and I shook my head. I couldn't do this. I almost ran to the door, "Excuse me," I barely managed to choke out before I was out the door. It was like someone had their merciless hand around my heart and were trying to strangle the life out of it.  
Hot tears fought against me for control and with no strength to fight back, I sank down to the ground my body shaking in body-racking sobs.  
I wanted Taylor right now so bad. I wanted him just to be at my side. If not to kiss me, then just to hold me and take away some of this all-too-familiar agony away. Along with the numbing fear of losing someone else. And the hysterical worry that Joe will spiral into something bitter and unimaginable.  
But as the nausea began to torture my stomach, making me feel so wrong, so dirty, so disgusting.  
I was betraying Demi and her memory by wanting one of the ones who did this to her. I hated myself. But I didn't hate myself enough to not call him.  
"Taylor?" I sobbed once I heard the phone click in my ear.  
"Alexie." He half nodded, half sighed.  
Tearfully, I choked out, "It wasn't Leigha after all."  
Solemnly, he answered, "I know."  
I sobbed harder. "It was _Demi_."  
He swallowed into the speaker and said it again. "I know."

Half an hour later I silently climbed the stairs to my room silently, my arm hugging my waist.  
_Demi's dead._  
My mask dissolved.  
_Demi's dead._  
The tears streamed.  
_Demi's dead._  
I crumbled.  
_But she couldn't be, right? They were wrong before when they thought it was Leigha. They could be wrong again. It doesn't seem possible._  
I froze, standing near the door my eyes running over the interior of the room. _Just Saturday—two _**days**_ ago—we sat in this very room together and talked. She spoke about how much she loved Joe and I thanked her for saving him. She told me that she loved him...so she couldn't be _**dead**_! That would be too _**cruel**_._  
But somehow everything I touch is the color of mourning, of death. I pulled on a pair of black pumps. I had a black tie-around cardigan dress. Even all my school things were stuffed in a leather backpack. I grabbed a pair of sunglasses even though it was cool outside. I was sure sometime today we'd get attacked by the paps and I didn't want them to see me cry.

Once I was ready I headed downstairs; the house was quiet. Brendan had gone to the airport to pick up Lilith. And no one knew were Bliss was, not that she lived at the beach castle anyways. I was sure Nick and Kevin were trying to find Joe or mourn on their own. Because, despite what Joe said, Demi is a part of this family.  
Or rather, _was_.  
Keeping on the glasses, I fixed Frankie breakfast by handing him two Pop Tarts. They were the type I usually don't allow him eat because they are the over-sugared, chocolaty type. I slid him a bottle of _Yoo-hoo_ chocolate milk then after a second thought, added a banana for good measure.  
He gave me a strange look but didn't say anything as he took his breakfast into the casual dining room and flipped on Cartoon Network. I didn't have the appetite to eat anything myself so I just grabbed a bottle of water and sat at the table with him until he was done.  
Then together, we grabbed our school things and walked over to Kohl's house to see if she and Kyle wanted to ride with us to school. The entire sky was a pale gray, a shroud of clouds hiding its endless blue. It seemed like it might rain so I quickly added a (clear) umbrella to our ensemble. Kevin insisted on being the one to take us today and I knew Nick would probably come along too to make sure we all made it to Galaxy in one piece.  
"Did you see—" Kohl began as soon as she opened the door.  
Fighting back my tears, I nodded slightly in Frankie's direction, who was next to me.  
After sending him in Kyle's direction inside the house, she spoke freely. "Lex, I'm so sorry." She said, moving forward to hug me.  
I hugged her back, my body trembling as I tried to dam up the tears threatening to overflow.  
"How's Joe?" She asked after a moment.  
I pulled away. "I don't know. We don't know where he is but Kevin wants us to go to school so they can find him."  
Solemnly, Kohl kept her eyes on me. "Do you think he's—"  
I swallowed hard. "I don't know. I hope not but Demi's the one who got him off last time so I wouldn't be surprised if he was." I shook my head as my voice broke. "I can't believe this. Just the other night we were talking about how she saved Joe and their relationship together. I can't believe she's _dead_."  
Kohl shook her head. "I can't believe they _killed_ her."  
They.  
She meant the Teagues.  
She meant—and yet at the same time—didn't mean Taylor. My Taylor.  
I wasn't sure what to say then but luckily Frankie reappeared with Kyle. "So can they, Lex?" He wanted to know.  
Dully, I turned to him. "Can who what?"  
He rolled his eyes. "Can Kyle and Kohl ride with us to school?"  
_Oh.  
Right._  
I turned to Kohl questioningly and she nodded. "Yeah. Um, let me just go get my things and we'll go." She vanished down the hall for a few seconds before she reappeared with her bags and an umbrella. "Let's go."  
The boys started out a little ahead of us while Kohl and I followed, our arms linked with each other's. Neither one of us said anything. We were almost back to the house when Kohl suddenly froze.  
"Is that..." her voice trailed off so I stopped and followed her eyes.  
Kevin was sitting outside of the house on the pavement by the garage staring up at the sky. I nodded. "Yes."  
Kohl stared at him from afar for a long moment and I knew what she wanted, what my brother needed right now. What we all needed.  
I nudged her. "I'm gonna go check on Nick." I told her quietly.  
Her gaze unwavering, Kohl just nodded in response.  
To give them privacy, I quickly turned and followed the boys towards the house. But in the cool, gray silence of the morning I could hear her footsteps against the pavement as she ran to him.  
The impact she made when she crashed into his body, wrapping her arms around him.  
I could hear it as he collapsed, sobbing against her as she held him up. Then came her voice— "Oh, Kevin!"  
Turning around as I reached the patio door, I turned just in time to see as she pulled back. I could read her lips: "No matter what you need, I'm here for you. _All_ of you."  
I entered the mansion and went upstairs to look for Nick. He was in our music room sitting at the piano as I expected.  
Silent, I stood in the doorway but he didn't acknowledge my presence. He continued to stare out the open window which overlooked the coastline and the outskirts of the city, his fingers lightly lying in the keys.  
Finally he spoke. **Is it time to go?**  
I nodded. **Yes.**  
Slowly Nick stood. **Twin,** he said, turning to look at me as he got up. **What are we going to do?**  
My eyesight blurred with unshed tears and I shook my head. **I don't know.** I answered. **I don't know. **

The ride to school was quiet. Kevin called the boy's bodyguard, Big Rob, to come and be our driver for the day. No one except for Kyle and Frankie talked for the entire ride although he kept shooting the rest of us strange looks. We picked up Dakota and her younger sister, Elle, on our way before continuing to school.  
Once we got through the press staked out in the front gates of Galaxy, Rob stopped the car in front of the main building of the school and we all got out.  
Looking uncertain, we all glanced around as other Galaxy students roamed around campus looking lost. "Uh...let's go see where we're supposed to go." Dakota said. "C'mon, Elle."  
Once they left, Nick and Kevin pulled Frankie and me aside. Kevin hugged Frankie and gave him a fist bump, and then he moved to give me a quick kiss on the forehead before whispering, "Remember what I told you. I love you, princessa," in my ear.  
Fighting back my tears, I gave him a quick hug. "Love you too, big brother."  
Then Nick and I turned to each other before we hugged. **If anything goes wrong, tell me,** he insisted.  
I nodded. **And you do the same for me. Especially when you find Joe.** I left no room for if, and's or but's.  
After he nodded back, we pulled away from each other.  
**You and me stick like glue?** I questioned.  
Nick forced the slightest of smiles. **Just like Fred and Ginger do.**  
Sounding out of breath, Elle and Dakota reappeared. "We have to all go to the P-A-C." Dakota explained.  
I made sure Frankie and I both had our things before saying, "Okay, let's go." We started towards the sidewalk, making our way to the Joseph Pulitzer Performing Arts Center. No one said anything as we walked until finally Kohl stopped.  
"Um..." Kohl bit her lip, eyeing something behind us. "I'll meet you guys there in a couple minutes."  
She didn't stop to wait for our answer and just dashed back down the street.

Looking lost, Dakota, Elle, Frankie and Kyle all eyed me as if they were waiting for something. I shrugged. "Let's go. She can meet us there." I continued down the sidewalk again and after a moment the rest of the group followed me.  
_I wonder why Kohl left anyway,_ I suddenly thought. Curious, I glanced back, over my shoulder. Nick was back in the car and Kohl was hugging Kevin again. And he was holding onto her with all his strength, his face buried in her chest. And Kohl was holding onto him, cradling him to her. And she was crying too. She was saying something and she lifted his head up to say it. And whatever it was, it was making Kevin nod and straighten up.  
I knew Kohl and Kevin weren't together but seeing the two of them together made me want Taylor right now more than ever. I wanted to cry into him and have him by my side right now more than I ever had. I _needed_ him.  
_I wished for him on my birthday,_ I remembered the tears blurring my vision and for a moment I nearly swayed off the sidewalk. _But when I said anyone I didn't mean one of the ones who might've kill my brother's girlfriend._  
A wave of nausea seized my stomach and disgust ravaged my skin. _How selfish you are. Demi's never going to be able to do anything ever again and you're crying about boy problems? How selfish are you?_  
Guilt burning in my throat, I turned back around and we continued to the P.A.C. where we followed the line of students filing inside. When we finally entered, Frankie and Kyle grabbed a couple of their friends and sat in the front along with the third and fifth graders in the farthest of the three sections on the left. The younger elementary students were being seated in the back. They were at that age where death generally makes no sense to them and everything seems funny.  
Dakota and I sat with all of the Galaxy cheerleaders in the three rows of the middle and right sections for the middle and high school students. But unlike there normally is, there were non-cheerleaders wedged in seats in between us all. Hailie Jade Mathers (Eminem's daughter and our head cheerleader) was sitting between her boyfriend, Jake (Max from Wizards of Waverly Place) and her best friend India (Ashley from The Secret Life of the American Teenager). Bella and Zendaya (from Shake It Up—middle school cheerleaders) were sitting behind us with Elle and her best friends China (A.N.T. Farm) and Joey (Ramona and Beezus).  
As soon as we sat down a flock of people swarmed around us.  
"Alexie, are you okay?"  
"How's your brother?"  
"Yeah, how's Joe?" Eagerly, someone demanded.  
"People, will you back the fuck up?" Hailie Jade demanded.  
They obeyed because when she wants to be, Hailie Jade can be pretty scary. But with Eminem as her father that's understandable. She shot me a slight, strained smile. "Excuse the language."  
Shaking my head, I weakly responded, "its fine."  
Her expression turned sympathetic and she took my hand. "How are you?"  
"Terrible," I whispered. "This all reminds me too much of what happened to my parents and Joe-" I shook my head. You could never be too careful about what you say so that it doesn't get leaked to the press. "No one knows where he is."  
Jake set an arm around Hailie's shoulder. "Don't worry, Lex," he told me. "I'm sure he'll turn up soon. He probably just needs some time to himself."

"Maybe," I acknowledged. "But all I want right now is to know that he's _okay_." My voice cracked.

"We could help look for him," Zendaya suggested, glancing around to look at the others.

"Yeah!" China exclaimed, her head bobbing up and down. "With all the things fans use to find us, if we use some of those star-tracking sites too, it shouldn't be too hard!"

Hailie Jade nodded at her. "Good idea, Chi."

China beamed back at her.

Everyone whipped out their phones and got on the Internet.

"We'll find him in no time." China promised with her brightest smile and I found it hard to not genuinely return it, no matter how doubtful I was.


	13. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE:**

After ten minutes, Kohl eventually found us and took a seat in our section. And after nearly half an hour, the rest of the administration showed up. The teachers all went to their positions at the ends of every couple of rows, acting like chaperones while the principals took to the stage.  
There are four different main principals at Galaxy. Three were for each branch of the school; the elementary, middle and high school parts. Then there was the overseeing one who was called "the dean". Dean Taylor was the one who took to the podium, the other three principals standing behind him.  
Quickly, silence overfell the auditorium and everyone who wasn't already in their seat, rushed to get there.  
"Good morning, students of Galaxy." He began.  
"Good morning, Dean Taylor," a majority of us chorused back.  
Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and shifted his weight before beginning. "As some of you very well may already know, a graduate of this school has recently died."  
Murmurs broke out around the room and suddenly I wondered if maybe everyone wasn't as filled in as I was.  
_Well, not many people know Demi that well. Especially this generation. Plus if she wasn't dating Joe_—my breath caught and once again I remembered what was now wrong about that sentence.  
Dakota, who was sitting on my left, took my hand and hers and squeezed reassuringly. She tried to shoot me a smile and I tried to regulate my breathing. My friends were too worried about me.  
_And we're worried about Joe_, my brain reminded me.  
Joe, who had managed to stay sober for so long because of Demi. But now I didn't think that would be the case. Joe first started drinking when he secretly hired a private eye to investigate the death of our parents. I don't know anything about what he did or _didn't_ find but eventually it drove him to drinking. And then Demi came into our lives and somehow she managed to bring him back to sobriety and keep to it. But now—now that the _one_ person who saved him before, had fallen herself...I didn't think Joe would be able to resist the escape alcohol offered him.  
My jaw clenched and my stomach swished again so I tried to get out of the booby trap inside my head.  
"...school will be cancelled for the next two days until Wednesday, starting at noon today." Dean Taylor was saying.  
I could hear most of the elementary kids cheering and some of the middle school students. That is, before they were shushed by the teachers. After all, someone had died.  
They just didn't understand.  
"We will be serving lunch for those who want it and we're alerting your parents of this change as we speak. Counseling is available for anyone who needs it. And please, sign out before you leave the grounds so we can make sure everyone is present and accounted for." He went on and I started tuning him out again when unexpectantly someone stood up and voiced a question.  
"Can we say some words about Demi?" Hailie Jade asked.  
The auditorium fell into silence. Real silence this time as we all looked to Dean Taylor for his answer.  
Clearing his throat, Dean Taylor glanced at the rest of his principals for backup. None of them seemed to have anything to say against it, so he finally just nodded. "Uh...Yes. Yes, that would be fine." Dean Taylor moved aside and the principals followed him to a corner of the stage where there were a couple of chairs set up.  
Standing up, Hailie Jade's eyes caught mine for a moment before she solemnly made her way down the row of chairs, into the aisle, then up the stairs to the podium. She lowered the mike down to her level then over looked all of us. "My name is Hailie Jade," she started. "Demi and I weren't close or anything but I remember the day I met her..."  
Suddenly I was holding back the urge to vomit.  
Oh God, I couldn't be here for this. I couldn't hear everyone stand in a circle and talk about their favorite Demi memory, throwing it constantly in my face that she was dead. I just couldn't do it.  
I stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom."  
Kohl stopped texting to look up at me. Then she and Dakota exchanged a look. "Do you want us to come with you?" asked Dakota.  
I shook my head. "Thanks, you guys but I just need like, ten minutes to myself." I didn't wait for them to answer but instead made my way down the aisle with the end closest to the wall.  
I had to explain where I was going and give my name and grade to at least _three_ different teachers but eventually I made it into the hallway. Not that that helped because I could still hear Hailie Jade's voice out here.  
Wildly, I glanced around the hall looking for someplace to escape. And that's when I saw the door. Without thinking, I lunged for it and dashed outside where I sank to my knees.  
The wind was blowing cold air around me and my shoulders started shaking before I sneezed. But being out here was helping either. Maybe I couldn't here Hailie Jade talking anymore but I could still remember it.  
_Demi and I weren't close or anything...  
Did you hear—  
Demi's dead.  
I'm so sorry._  
Sobbing, I pressed my head in the wall. I was hiccupping, and my nose was running and I couldn't breathe and I was crying outside of the P-A-C.  
"Alexie?"  
Instantly, my head shot up as a man started making his way towards me. I froze the moment I spotted him.  
_Taylor?_  
He was wearing black jeans and a white and green NIKE t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. Not that it mattered. Because I'd know him from anywhere.  
It was him.  
_Taylor._  
Some of the tension melted away now as my heart started pounding to the beat of his name. _Taylor. Taylor. Taylor. Taylor._  
His head tilting slightly, he gazed at me for a long moment and I tried not to crumble in front of him. But I was getting that feeling again. The one I hadn't wanted to confess to Gabby:  
Familiarity.

Taylor didn't seem like someone I'd only met on Saturday—just two or three days ago. Being around him felt too natural, it felt like it had been so much longer.  
I couldn't fight the tears.  
I couldn't fight to make the distance my loyalty demanded me to make.  
All I wanted was him.  
That's when I ran to him, throwing my arms about his neck and broke down into everything I'd been trying to smother below the surface.  
"Shit, baby," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into the warmth of his chest.  
Then I just cried.

He led me to his car, that he'd managed to stash in the teachers parking lot in the back of the school. We were huddled up together in the corner of his backseat.  
I couldn't remember exactly what was said after he found me in the P-A-C and how exactly we'd ended up here but I was grateful. "Thank you for this," I whispered, cradled up in his chest.  
I could feel Taylor's voice rumbling in his chest as he answered, "This isn't something you need thank me for."  
I had never heard him be so serious before. It was almost strange. But then again this entire situation was a somber issue. Keeping my arm around his neck, I closed my eyes and tried to find something to focus on. "How did you even know where to find me, anyway?"  
"You and your brothers are all over the Internet and the news. The media going into a frenzy and anyone with a connection to Demi is a target." He explained.  
I pulled back to look at him. "You didn't have to _come_ though. As sweet as sneaking into my school is, I don't want to make things worse for either of us."  
His eyes not meeting mine, Taylor shook his head firmly. "Alexie, you're not making things worse. And I could tell you needed someone." Reaching up, he took my hand in his and I intertwined our fingers.  
"Well, despite your unacceptance, thank you." I whispered.  
"No problem," he answered before I reached up and kissed him. He kissed me back.  
And it was then the idea came and grew like a ember into a flame. I knew what would make all this pain stop. I wanted to stop crying, stop hurting, stop feeling. At least _this_.  
Leaning backwards on the backseat, I grabbed Taylor by the shirt, and pulled him on top of me. Letting my mouth fall open, I tried to pull up his shirt. He moaned and started kissing me back, hungrily with a passion and zest I didn't know what to do with. Pulling back, Taylor gazed at me with this look in his eyes I've never seen before. He looked almost like a monster, he wanted me that bad.  
_It's lust_, I realized.  
Relief rushed through my veins and I reached up, trying to kiss his neck or something. But my inexperience must've shown because my hands were shaking and the whole thing felt awkward.  
That's when he blinked and the lust was gone. "Alexie, what the fuck are you doing?" He demanded, hotly, starting to sit up.

I didn't even bother correct his use of foul language. "Taylor, please." I begged, trying to hold him to me. "_Please_. I _need_ this."  
He stared at me for a long moment as he processed my words before his eyes widened. He backed away from me. "No. Alexie, no—" His eyes were still wide as he gazed at me like I was a ghost.  
My fingers rushed to grasp him and pull him back to me. "I know you want this, Taylor." I pleaded, trying to appeal to the lust inside of him. "Please. I want it to. I need it. I just want it all to stop." My eyes welled with tears again as I begged. "I don't want to feel this anymore. Let me feel something else. Something _better_."  
Still looking stricken, Taylor rapidly shook his head. "Alexie—I can't. Not like this. It wasn't supposed to be like this." He recoiled, backing as far away from me as possible.  
His rejection was like a slap in my face. And sitting up, I turn to face the window again and just let the wave of tears rush over me.  
_How much is one girl supposed to take? How much pain is supposed to be too much? I've lost my parents. The one person who kept my family together is gone. And now I'm about to lose my brother. I can't do this anymore._  
Sobbing now, I buried my head in my arms. _God, I can't do this anymore. I don't __**want**__ to do this anymore. I couldn't bare it if I lost someone else._  
All the sudden it was like all the air in the car was all vacuumed out and I couldn't breathe. Hyperventilating, my hands rushed to grab my throat and fear pounding my heart I turned to Taylor.  
"Alexie?"  
My mouth fell open and I struggled to pull oxygen into my lungs but nothing was happening. My hands rushed to my throat, and wide eyed I turned to Taylor as I struggled to breathe.  
"Alexie?" He grabbed my shoulders.  
I gasped and gasped but nothing was coming in and I couldn't breathe.  
_I can't breathe.  
I can't breathe.  
And without air, how can I breathe? How am I supposed to breathe with no air?_  
His eyes darted around widely, before recognition hit his eyes. "Alexie, listen to me. Concentrate on my voice," he said suddenly calm. "You're having a panic attack."  
_A panic attack, _my brain acknowledged.  
"Look, just listen to my voice and do what I tell you."  
Then a thought slipped into my mind.  
_I am so sick of this. I can't do this anymore. And if I give into it…I won't have to..._ But before the thought could continue, Taylor interrupted. "Now! We don't have time!"  
Choking, I nodded and his hand touched my back. "Alexie, lean over and put your head between your legs."  
I reached over and obeyed, my hair falling about the sides of my head like curls of chocolate. I started coughing and my face started to go warm.  
"Now listen to me." My hands tightened and I started wheezing again. "Listen to me. Concentrate on my voice."  
I nodded as best as I could but there were silver dots peppering my vision.  
"Close your eyes and relax. Okay? Relax."  
I tried to but I couldn't. I started coughing again, and my body was becoming racked with the strength of them.  
"Just think of your favorite memory and try to remember everything about it, focusing entirely on that, okay, Alexie?"  
I closed my eyes and tried to let the tension leave my shoulders.  
_Just relax. Think of your favorite memory and focus entirely on that.  
Concentrate.  
Close your eyes.  
Relax.  
Remember everything about it.  
Concentrate.  
Relax.  
Remember._  
For a moment there was only the blackness then the space started becoming more solid and geometric until it became rectangular shaped. The sides were becoming wall and sky blue paint washing down them. Thick white carpet appeared on the floor. The room filled with a bed in the corner and a toy box, a shelf of books and a little keyboard in the corner.  
A girl was sitting in a window seat hugging her knees to her chest as she gazed up at the stars. She had long curly brown hair and hazel eyes and a smile on her lips. My eyes twitched slightly as I remembered this was _me_.  
_The door was open as a woman with curls the color of night suddenly appeared in the doorway, holding something behind her back. Her eyes were dark brown and mischievous as she watched me. "Alessia, isn't it past your bedtime?" My mother finally spoke.  
Lowering my knees, I turned to face her. "I know, Mamma, but the stars are speaking to me."  
She laughed and the sound twinkled around the room. "Speaking to you?" She repeated, coming into my room now. I turned back to the window. "Yes."  
"And what language do stars speak, may I ask? English? Russian? Turken?" She questioned teasingly.  
I rolled my eyes at her. "Mamma, I know Turken isn't a language. And anyway, they don't talk."  
"Then how do you speak to them?" She asked, taking a seat at the end of the window across from me.  
"They sing, of course." I sighed.  
"They sing?" She repeated, her eyebrows slightly raised.  
I nodded.  
"Mmm hmm," she said. "And what do they sing about?"  
I smiled and my hand went to touch the window. "About the other galaxies out there. And what it's like to dance in the sky. And laughing." My face brightened again. "They laugh a lot."  
"Do they?"  
I nodded.  
"Hmm," she was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Here, I have something for you." She reached across the window seat, holding a book out for me to take. Turning from the window, I took it.  
It was a hardcover; long and thick and the color of the sky on a cloudless day. There was a long black strip on the side and on the middle there were a couple of silver musical notes and underneath was engraved: __**The Original Musical Compositions of Alessia Skye Jonas (Alexyne Skylie Jonas**__).  
Intrigued, I slowly opened it. Dozens of thick, creamy white pages flew by before the book finally settled itself on the first. They were all printed with the same thing: nine bars of empty piano staffs and nine empty rows beneath each one. Confused but curious, I looked up at her. "What is this?"  
"It's a songbook." She explained.  
Even more confused, I glanced back down at it. "But… it's empty."  
She laughed again. "Ah, yes, that's true. However, its empty because you have to fill it."  
My eyes widened. "I have to?"  
"Yes. See, I know deep down inside you, your soul has something to sing about. Or stories to pen as lyrics." She laughed again. "Or even the songs of the stars." She stood up and kissed the top of my forehead. "You'll write wonders, little one." She whispered before making her way to the door. "Good night."  
I only had eyes for the book. "Night, Mamma." I called back. Closing the door after her, she left the room and for a moment I stared down at the blank paper before my eyes went back to the sky. The stars were there as before, silver and twinkling in the night above me.  
Biting my lip, I turned back to the book. Grabbing a pencil from the drawer under the seat, I started to write.  
_  
**_Sing to me the songs of the stars.  
Of your galaxy dancing  
and laughing and laughing again._**

The memory started fading, all the color—the blue of the walls, my songbook, my bed, the keyboard—fading to grey. And eventually black.  
Then I could hear Taylor's voice again. "Okay…now open your eyes and sit up."  
I obeyed and found myself staring at him.  
His midnight black eyes were staring back at me. "You all right?" He questioned.  
I broke eye-contact first. "As all right as I'll ever be." I muttered. I was looking outside the car window; it was raining again.  
Taylor shook his head. "You can't catch a break, can you?"  
Turning from the rain, I refocused my attention on him. He had understanding in his eyes.  
And pity.  
I never wanted him to look at me like that again. Sadly, I shook my head. "No. I can't."  
Taylor rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Shit," under his breath.  
Wide eyed, I stared at him. I didn't have the heart or strength to reprimand him on the language.  
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "That all this shi-stuff keeps happening to you. I don't know how you deal with it and stay so...non-bitter or corrupted. Or hell, addicted to half a million drugs."  
"Sometimes, I don't know how either." I answered truthfully. "But I have my family. My friends. They help me. Kind of like how you did."  
Taylor covered his face with his hands. "Alexie, I don't know if you should count on someone like me."  
"Why not?" I demanded in disbelief. "You've just proven how much I can count on you. You came here. You got me through whatever the heck _that_ just was." I felt my cheeks grow hot as I added, "You kept me from doing something I would've regretted."  
He kept his eyes covered but shrugged. "I guess so." "I know so." I contradicted firmly. He still was hiding from me and I wondered if he was hiding his pity from me. And if there was anything I couldn't take, it was pity.  
"Look," I began quietly. "If this whole poor-orphaned-model-with-an-magnet-for-tragedy thing is too much for you, you can have a way out. I would understand. This is too much for most people."  
Somberly, Taylor's arms fell away from his face as gazed up at me. Reaching over, he pulled me into his lap and brushed some of my curls from away from my eyes then taking my hand. "Alexie, you should be one of those people. You should be one of the ones who only see sunshine and rainbows throughout their life. Not—" He sighed and didn't finish. "I'm not ditching you over this. You can count on me."  
Relieved, I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. "Okay." I closed my eyes for a second and just focused on breathing. "I should probably get back," I said finally, opening my eyes.  
He was still staring at me with a unreadable expression on his face. "Yeah, you're right." He nodded.  
Looking at my reflection in the window, I wiped under my eyes and quickly finger-combed my hair before turning to him and forcing a smile. "Tell me the truth: how do I look?"  
After a moment, he reached up and tilted my head down so he could kiss my forehead. "Like the most beautiful girl in the world."  
I knew he was lying but still, it's the thought that counts, right? I climbed off his lap and started scooting towards the door when thunder clashed overheard. Startled, I jumped and he cracked a sliver of a smile.  
"Here, take this. He started pulling off his jacket and handed it to me.  
"Taylor–" I started.  
"Alexie, it's raining and I can't drive you back." Then I didn't make a move to grab it, his eyes narrowed. "Just take it."  
We had a stare down for a couple of seconds which he eventually won. Sighing, I took it, draping it around my shoulders.  
Taylor exhaled. "Thank you."  
I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed, some of the tension leaving his face. Actually a bunch of tension left the room...or car rather. Closing my eyes, I relished it for a moment. I would only have a handful of these moments during this storm. And I planned on enjoying the brief vacations from reality for as long as possible.  
Then, opening my eyes, I reached over and grabbed the door handle before turning back to him. "Text me?" I said with a questioning lit in my voice; some of that old insecurity was plaguing me again.  
He nodded. "Of course."  
I smiled and reached over, kissing him for a long moment. Finally, I pulled back. "Goodbye." I whispered.  
He didn't say anything and just stared back at me. So I opened the door, and keeping the jacket wrapped around my head, climbed out and into the rain.  
And as I closed the door I could've sworn I heard him say, "Goodbye."  
I ran in the rain, with Taylor's jacket keeping the parts of my body it was covering dry, until I got back to the P-A-C. I yanked open one of the doors leading to the hallway I'd come from and hurried inside. An invisible cloud of warm air slammed into my body and gratefully, I uncovered my head and started shaking off Taylor's jacket. Swallowing, I went to the giant glass windows hoping I would still see the black of his car in the parking lot.  
But he was gone.  
Sighing, I shook off his jacket one last time before pulling it on. His body heat was still lingering there. After double-checking my reflection so that evidence of my meltdown wasn't apparent, I started towards the doors leading inside of the auditorium. I was about to open the door when a voice behind me demanded, "Why didn't you tell me?"


	14. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: **

Startled, I spun around in my heels to find that Frankie was standing behind me. His hair was all messed up and his posture was lifeless and languid.

"Frankie, what are doing here?" I asked before I processed what he said. "Huh?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" His words were like knives flung at me, using the strength of the wind to multiply their impact.

Frozen in mid-step, my eyes widened. _Oh my God, did he know about Taylor?_

"Tell you—tell you what?" I said cautiously.

Holding up his fists, Frankie shook his head. "Why'd you hide this, Lex?" He went on, moving towards me.

"Franks—" my voice broke, taking a step to him.

He shook his head, dodging away from me. "Demi's _dead_?" He shot.

First—and I'll hate myself for this forever—relief washed over me. Because I was wrong, Frankie didn't know about Taylor. My dirty little secret was still safe. And then I remembered and this time it felt all the worse. Slamming into my body at full force, icy pain shot through my heart and spread all over my body. I struggled to suck in a breath and that's when it hit me:

_Oh God…We never told Frankie_.

I'd been so focused on finding Joe—on Kevin and Kohl—on escaping—on _Taylor_—on myself, that I'd forgotten that we hadn't thought of what to tell Frankie. Falling to my knees, I reached out to grab him but he shook me off. " You're right—you're right!" I hurriedly spilled out, self-disgust underneath my skin, crawling through my veins. "I should've told you, Frankie. I'm sorry." My voice cracked again and suddenly I wasn't just talking to him anymore. "I am so sorry."

Stone-faced for a moment as he channeled his inner-Joe with a concentration that scared me, he finally reached out and hugged me. "She was my friend too." He said, finally losing the coldness. Frankie paused for a moment. "They were _my_ parents too."

Shocked, I pulled away to look at him. "What?" I gasped.

"Mamma and Dad," Frankie went on trying to look stone-faced but his lip quivered. "They weren't just yours or Joe's or Kevin's or Nick's. They're _mine_ too." He paused for a moment and in that moment he lost his coldness and became a ten year old boy who was lost, confused and angry. "Even if I don't remember."

My lips trembled and I pulled him closer to me. "I'm so sorry, Frankie." I whispered once more.

"Tell me about them," he said after almost twenty minutes had passed but we were still sitting in the hallway. It was a wonder that none of the teachers came looking for us, but perhaps it was better this way.

I turned to look at him. "Who?"

"Mamma and Dad." He answered, staring back at me with this heartbroken, yet hungry look on his face.

We didn't like to talk about them that much because it's too painful, but I think we had all forgotten about how Frankie had hardly any memories of them. About how he would miss them most of all for he had no memories to immortalize them in.

"Okay…" I nodded trying to think. "Well, they had names in Italian for us all."

"They did?" he questioned. "Like what?"

I smiled and leaned against the wall with my arm around him. "Well, mine was Alessia Skye and Nick's was Nicolo."

"What was Joe's?" Frankie wanted to know.

I started to laugh knowing that he would enjoy this. "His was Giuseppe but they called him Peppe."

"_Peppe_?" Frankie burst out into laughter.

When I joined in with his laughter, the sound that came from inside me sounded like glass breaking. "Yep."

"What about Kevin's?" he questioned.

"His was Paolo because he was named after Dad and there's no way to say Kevin in Italian. And yours was—"

"Wait," he stopped me, as shock lit in his eyes. "_I _have one too?"

"Of course," I told him as my heart started sickly sinking to my stomach. This was only making me feel worse. How long had Frankie had this hunger inside of him to know our parents, to share in our memories of them but kept silent so _we_ wouldn't have painful memories? But why should he have to sacrifice? There's a saying that says you can't miss what you never had but I can't think of who it's worse for; Frankie who knows about Mamma and Daddy but can't _remember_ them or me and the others who _can_? "They were given to us all at birth." I explained.

Something in his eyes shifted and they began unseeing. "What was it?"

I closed my eyes before answering slowly. "Franco Natheniele Jonas."

My little brother was silent for a long moment. "They sure liked o-names." He said finally.

Keeping my eyes closed, I nodded. "Yeah…they did."

We were both silent for a while before he asked another question. "How did they meet?"

"Well, when Dad and Brendan were in college, they were roommates. And back then Brendan was dating Bliss and Bliss had a friend named Denise that they decided to fix them up together."

"Was it love at first sight?"

_Love at first sight…_It was strange hearing my little brother say those words but I shook my head. "No. Mamma doesn-" I paused to correct myself._"-didn't_ believe in love at first sight. That was something she fiercely believed in. But whenever she wasn't around Dad would always admit that her beauty was what drew him to her in the first place but he fell in love with who she was."

His palms squeezed into little fists. "Why did they have to die? Why did Demi die? Why does anyone _have_ _to_ _die_?"

Swallowing hard, I felt tears well up in my eyes and eyed the wall. "I don't know, Franks." I answered. "I don't know."

We sat out in the lobby in silence until the assembly was over. I wasn't sure where we were going to go once they asked everyone to leave campus since Kevin and Nick had taken our ride with them and the last thing I wanted was go back to Brendan's. It wasn't like I didn't love it but the beach castle was made of cold stone and stood solitary above the beach. Nick was gone, Brendan had been nowhere to be found this morning, and I couldn't stand to go back to a cold and empty house. Not now. Not in this state.

But somehow Lilith managed to show up at Galaxy and after an enormous argument with a couple of teachers managed to get what she had come for; Frankie and me. In the car she didn't speak to either of us and Frankie and I chose not to speak to each other either. Lilith, who had stolen Brendan away from Bliss liked us just as much as we liked her. Behind her back, Frankie and I liked to call her "the queen of demons" because her name was the same as the first woman on Earth—_before_ Eve—the one who got kicked out and started having demon babies, which describes Lilith perfectly.

Sighing, I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window watching the world roll by as we passed. My thoughts turned back to Taylor's visit and I thought about my panic attack. One of my thoughts from the moment slipped into my mind once more.

_Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air._

My brain turned the phrase over inside me over and over again. _'Tell me: how am I supposed to breathe-with no air?' _My hands started digging into my bag before I even realized what was going on. It wasn't until I pulled out the music and lyrics book my mother had given me so long ago before I realized what I was wanted to do. In cursive in black ink on the creamy white of the pages, I spoke the song to the page:

_Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air._

Biting my lip, I stared down at the words with such an intensity they started swimming before my eyes. Then my hand reached down and I was writing again.

_If I should die before I __a__wake  
it's __be__cause you took my  
__oxygen__air__ breath away.  
Losing you is like:  
Living in a world  
with no air._

_But how_

_do you expect me_

_to live alone with just me?_

_be__cause my world __revolved__ revolves around you_

_it's so hard for me to breathe._

_Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air._

_I__ can't live, __I__ can't breathe with no air._

Eventually the car ride ended and we were at the place I didn't want to be. Even more so with _Lilith _of all people. But after walking into the living room where I froze in my tracks, I realized that I was wrong.

The living room was filled with people. Brendan was there, and so was Bliss surprisingly. Then there was Big Rob, who had driven all of us to school this morning and Gabby standing in the corner. And my brothers manager and publicist, Johnny Wright, PJ Bianco and my agent, Laney Caudwell and publicist, Clarke Caraway.

"Umm," I began, confused beyond repair. "What's going on?"

"Alexie, Frankie, where are your brothers?" Brendan asked stepping forward and staring at each of us in turn with something serious in his face.

Frankie and I exchanged a look. Before Lilith had showed up at school, I had decided to tell him what was going on. We were supposed to be a family and our parents who normally would've played the adult roles weren't around anymore. None of us were like other normal people our age, therefore Frankie deserved to know a little about what was going on. So I told him that Joe had disappeared and Nick and Kevin were looking for him.

"Well, um, they're out," Frankie said, trying to not to eye me.

Lilith rolled her eyes, snuffing out the cigarette she had ignited as soon as we walked into the house. "_Obviously_." She snapped.

"Lilith," Brendan began warningly.

I could see Bliss giving Lilith the Stank eye which I will admit, I kind of appreciated.

"Brendan, it's obvious these children have little respect for you. They belittle you, manipulate you and don't know when to pay respect where it's due." Lilith looked down at me, her eyes narrowing like a snake stalking out its prey before it makes its move. "_She_ knows where they are, I'm sure of it."

My jaw clenched and I wanted to make a smart retort back but I had taught better than that. So instead I stayed quiet.

"Why do you need to know in the first place?" Bliss wanted to know. "Kevin, Joe and Nick are all adults."

"No, they are _not_." Lilith snapped, her eyes latching onto Bliss with an ugly look on her face. "We're responsible for them."

_Okay, because it isn't like Joe and Kevin aren't legally adults, _I thought but _didn't_ say out loud.

Bliss laughed with no humor in her voice. "No, you're not. _We_ are responsible for them. It was my name and Brendan's that Paul and Denise signed responsibility over to, not you, Lilith."

Lilith's eyes narrowed into small furious little slits. "As Brendan's _wife _I am!" She retorted viciously.

My eyes widened in shock. I could not believe she had really just _said_ that. As much as I loved my godfather it wasn't a secret that he met Lilith while he and Bliss were still married. So is it much of a coincidence that two years later he's getting divorced and marrying her? But still to throw that in Bliss' face? I heard Bliss hiss as everyone else in the room held their breath in anticipation. I glanced down at Frankie who was watching what was unfolding with big eyes.

"Okay, maybe we should get back to the point—" I interrupted eyeing everyone meaningfully before motioning towards Frankie. "Why do you want to know where the guys are, anyway?"

"That's is none of your concern, missy," Lilith lashed out at me next.

I inhaled so fast, a hissing sound came out of me but I forced myself to just roll my eyes before ignoring her. "Because why?" I wanted to know looking at Bliss and Brendan for answers. I know that you're supposed to give respect to elders but Lilith was making me want to do something unthinkable—something along the lines of slapping an adult. "_They're_ my family first and for most. I don't want to be mean and play that card but-" I didn't even get to finish because Bliss shook her head and interrupted me.

"No, Alexyne, you're right. You have the right to know." She turned around and picked up the remote to the TV while Lilith gave her a dirty look (although Bliss had lived in this house for far longer and before Lilith ever existed on our radar). She un-paused what was on the screen and a news anchor appeared solemn and cold staring straight at us.

_"After the nineteen year old singer's death was announced this morning, a video of Lovato singing a song for her unfinished album was leaked out on the Internet with a purpose…"_ A video of Demi standing in the middle of a recording studio showed on the screen and started playing.

_"The space in between us  
Starts to feel like we're worlds apart.  
Like I'm going crazy  
And you say it's raining in your heart.  
You're telling me nobody's there to dry up the flood.  
Oh, but that's just crazy  
'Cause, baby, I told ya, I'm here for good._

_"My love's like a star, yeah,  
You can't always see me  
But you know that I'm always there.  
When you see one shining  
Take it as mine and remember I'm always near.  
If you see a comet, baby, I'm on it  
Making my way back home.  
Just follow the glow, yeah,  
It won't be long, just know that you're not alone._

_"I try to fill the walls to keep you safe  
When I'm not around.  
But as soon as I'm away from you,  
You say they come tumbling down.  
But it's not about the time  
That we don't get to spend together.  
It's about how strong our love is  
When I'm gone and it feels like forever."_

"What _is_ this?" I questioned, my voice coming out in a whisper.

Brendan exchanged a look with Bliss that I didn't understand before he turned to look at me. "A song from Demi's unreleased album got leaked out by someone at Hollywood Records," Brendan explained. "They're saying she dedicated it to Joe."

_Oh, God. _I thought, turning back to the TV. _This song is the most heartbreaking thing ever. _Part of it sounded like she was promising that she would love him forever and they'd be together forever. Or even worse…it almost seemed like she knew that she was going to die. My eyes welled up with tears. But of course she didn't know what was in store for her. Which just made it all the worse.

_"You say the time away makes your heart grow numb.  
But I can't stay just to prove you wrong.  
Oh, look at how far we've come  
Don't you know, don't you know that you're the one?  
Oh, you're not alone.  
You're not alone, oh.  
You're not alone, oh.  
You're not alone, oh.  
Know that you're not alone.  
You're not._

_"My love's like a star, yeah,  
You can't always see me  
But you know that I'm always there.  
When you see one shining  
Take it as mine and remember I'm always near, yeah.  
If you see a comet, baby, I'm on it  
Making my way back home.  
Making my way back to you.  
Just follow the glow, yeah  
It won't be long. _

_Just know that you're not alone.  
Yeah-yeah, yeah, oh, oh."_

The song faded out and feeling—actually I didn't know _what _I was feeling—I whipped around to face Bliss and Brendan because I knew that this song-oh, God the power this song would have… "_This_ is why you were looking for Kevin and Nick aren't you? Because you think Joe's seen this video and he's-" I meant to say 'drinking again' but I couldn't as a lump barged into my throat blocking my speech. "he's-"

From my side, Frankie slipped his hand in mine and squeezing tightly turning the tips of my fingers from white to blue. I swallowed and sniffled and sucked down a lungful of air and tried to exhale. "You think he's going to start drinking again."

Brendan and Bliss exchanged another look I didn't understand.

"Stop doing that!" I cried my frustration level rising. I was so sick of people treating me different just because I was the only girl and because I was younger then everyone but Frankie. I had been through everything they had and I was still alive, still surviving. I could take it-or die trying. "This is my _family_ that you're talking about. Just tell me what's going on!"

"Princessa," Brendan started taking a step forward but Bliss shook her head.

"No, Brendan, she's right again. She should know what's going on." She turned from him to me and her eyes meeting mine as an equal said, "All the alcohol in the house is gone. The liquor cabinet was broken into and almost everything but the wine was taken."

"Oh." I sank down into the cushions of a couch which did nothing to keep me up but instead sank down with me. Kevin was the oldest of us all and he was 22 and Joe had barely turned 20. Kevin didn't drink so the only way Joe could've gotten alcohol out of the public eye would have been here. Brendan and Bliss didn't just think that Joe was going to start drinking again, they were sure he already had.

I turned to look at Frankie who was already looking at me with question in his eyes. Burying my head in my hands, I sent the slightest of all nods in his direction.

"They went looking for him," he said instantly turning to Bliss and Brendan.

"Who? They went looking for who?" Bliss questioned, getting on her knees in front of him.

"Nick and Kevin," he answered casting a look in my direction but I refused to look up. "They went looking for Joe this morning."

I needed to think about something else so I stood up and walked over to my publicist and agent. "Wait, then what are you guys doing here?" I asked Clarke and Laney.

Laney and Clarke exchanged a look before she started. "It's about Demi," she said carefully watching me intently.

_Of course it was._ "What about her?" I questioned cautiously eying them all.

"They've already begun making preparations for her funeral and there's been a public memorial proposed to be broadcast on television." Clarke explained.

"A memorial?" I repeated.

"Yes," Laney nodded. "And we need to know if you are making an appearance there."

Expectantly, Clarke looked at me, ready to write down my answer or haggle me into his definition of the right choice. Depending on whether or not he thought I should distance myself and image from the scandal.

"Um," I bit my lip while trying to think. Did I really want to go to that? After my panic attack and meltdown today, could I even _handle_ something like that? But then my thoughts went back to the song I started constructing today. The song that was written in Demi's point of view about her death…it was like my tribute.

_But what about my family_? I wondered. What if the guys don't want to go to the memorial?

_Well, they don't have too_, I determined. _But I'm writing this song for Demi. And those who love her deserve to hear it_.

"Actually, I think I'm going to go," I decided. They both started penciling this into their schedules when I asked, "Laney, how hard is it to get a performance slot in the memorial?"

Laney glanced up at me. "It depends on who you are and your connection to Demi." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

I sucked in a breath. "Because I think I'd like to sing in it."

Clarke and Laney both froze and looked up at me

"_Sing_?" repeated Clarke.

Trying to seem surer of myself then I actually was I nodded. "Yes."

"But–" he started.

Not that I didn't already know what he was going to say. "I know," I conceded. "For years I've just stuck to modeling because I didn't want people to think I have no talent and was skating off of the guys fortune." I paused. "But this is important because Demi's gone." My voice broke but I kept going. "And I want to pay homage to her memory."

Coming up behind me-I hadn't even realized she was listening to our conversation-Bliss set her arm reassuringly on mine. "Alessia, you don't have to sing to do that though."

Blinking back tears I nodded. "I know. But I've been working on a song and I want to perform it at the memorial."

They all looked at each other then.

"She and Nick did sing at their masquerade and they were well-received," Bliss admitted to them, a thoughtful look in her eye. "I heard all kinds of praise all night."

_She did?_

Laney turned to me. "Once you do this, you can't go back. You do realize that?" I didn't say anything and she pressed on. "This will affect your career whether it is negatively or positively."

Firmly, I nodded. "I know. But I need to do this."

She looked over at Clarke who just shrugged. "You're the boss here. I'm just the publicist," he responded before he started typing into his phone. "I'll start throwing Alexie's name out there."

"And I'll start working on getting you a slot," added Laney.

"Thank you. _Both_ of you," I made sure to add even though I knew Laney wasn't 100% for this. "This truly means a lot."

"Alexyne Skylie," Bliss said after Clarke and Laney went their separate ways to put their plan(s) in action. She kept her arms around me. "Have I told you lately that I'm proud of you?"

I shook my head as I looked up at her. "Not that I can think off."

She kissed the top of my head. "Well, I am."


End file.
